Winter of our Discontent
by The Blue Engine
Summary: As Sodor nears the Christmas rush, a severe snow storm coupled with a worker rushing his job leads to a chain reaction of delays and accidents across the Island. The interlocking storylines follow several of the engines and vehicles of Sodor as they test friendships, battle personalities and deal with new engines, all while trying to survive the blizzard that threatens them all
1. Prologue

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's to you all! This year's Christmas Special comes a bit late due to delays relating to my other work and the holiday season, but hopefully it will still resonate with everyone and be just as enjoyable!**

**Prologue: Five' o'clock**

Winter had struck the Island of Sodor like a frozen, powerful fist, sweeping across the island with a force unseen for many years. Overnight, the temperature had fallen to levels that caused water towers and rivers to freeze and trucks and coaches froze together in their sidings, firelighters having to be brought in to remove ice from their buffers and couplings. A blanket of snow had fallen, covering every line, road, station, tree and building across the Island with the fluffy white particles that were wonderful to look at, but instantly began causing troubles. Delays swept across the entire island, the Culdee Fell Mountain Railway was forced to cease operations early, and the Packard and Co. machines were hired to clear away massive snow drifts that endangered the roads and rails.

Several weeks after the first signs of winter had begun, the Island was moving into a frozen Christmas that no one had prepared for. Recently, one big snowfall had cut off the Hackenbeck Tunnel on Thomas' Branch Line for a whole day, and Bertie the Bus had crashed into a tree after slipping on an icy patch. The big extension projects occurring all over the North Western Railway and beyond had come to stand stills, half finished stations and lines leading to nothing but snow spread out like ghostly warnings.

At Tidmouth Station, large heaters had been turned on inside the gift shop and café, leading to them being crowded with passengers desperate to warm up, their gloves, scarves and jackets doing little when the temperature was so low. The engines waiting in the platforms and sidings were barely warm themselves, slowly getting cold as they waited for their respective trains to leave, watching as snow fluttered past outside of the shelter provided by the roof.

Hard at work in the middle of the sidings was John Swanson. John was a shunter, meaning that it was his job to couple the various trucks and coaches together as they were shunted into their trains. It was a fairly repetitive job, as he stood on the sides of the tracks with the other men, rushing forwards every few minutes as two fuel wagons or a line of Express coaches required to be joined together. The job required attaching brake pipes together between the rolling stock and hooking chains over the towing hooks. John found the work exhausting most of the time, but it was made worse by standing in freezing temperatures with snow piled around his feet for hours on end. Thankfully, today was his last shift before the holidays, and John made it through by imagining putting his feet up in front of the fire place, enjoying his wife's vegetable soup and watching a Christmas special on the telly.

Finally, after more hours than he could count standing, running and coupling, John's shift officially ended. He bide a 'Merry Christmas' to the rest of his workers and quickly rushed towards the prefabricated hut that served as staff room and dumping grounds for all the people that worked in the shunting yards, as there was not enough room in the staff room in Tidmouth Station for them all. The hut was cramped due to all the lockers up against the walls and had a smell of sweat and dampness, but it was warm and had a couple of comfortable chairs that were all too appealing after a day on your feet.

"Finally!" John sighed as he stepped into the warmth, feeling it spread instantly through his body. He only realised now how much his legs ached and how cold he was, so decided to make himself a coffee and warm up before heading home. John had to do Christmas shopping on the way home for his wife and children, as his work schedule had forced him to delay it until these last days before Christmas, and would not survive an hour rushing around busy stores and waiting in overly long queues with his calf muscles aching so much.

"Hey John," a voice boomed, and John looked up as he sat down with his mug to see Frank, one of the managers, sidle into the hut, sucking his wide frame in so he could fit through the door. He opened his locker and procured a red suit, and John smirked to himself, remembering that Frank did shifts as Father Christmas on the station platform for bonus pay.

"Hello Frank, how are the kids treating you?" John asked, and Frank grunted back in response and waddled over to prepare his own coffee.

"Bloody nightmare! Yesterday I had a group of triplets at one point, all three screaming their heads off, and the mother refused to lose her place in line and spent nearly half an hour trying to calm them down. I think I still have a headache because of it!"

"I'll make sure Joseph and Anna are quiet when I bring them in then," John laughed as he continued to sip away at his coffee, savouring as the steam rising up helped to warm him up. Frank laughed at his joke, but was interrupted as a static buzz emerged from his trousers. John looked up as his superior fished a radio out with his meaty hands, and quickly spoke into it. John ignored the conversation as he savoured his coffee, going over in his head the gifts he had to buy and the stores he would need visit. It wasn't until Frank was looming over him with a grim look that John looked up, and he could instantly tell what was about to be said.

"Oh no, I've finished my shift!" John said, shaking his head. "I have Christmas shopping that I really need to –" but Frank began to talk above him.

"Tommy's gone and slipped on a patch of ice and has done his back in, so Jim's taking him to the GP down the road. We need someone to cover their siding as Duck is coming in in a few minutes and we have a tight schedule now after the Express was delayed before. His trucks are already there, you just need to finish coupling them together, should only take a few minutes." John groaned and angrily clutched his polystyrene cup, cracking it up the sides. He had been looking forward to this moment all week, and to have more work thrust upon him was the last thing he wanted.

"Just do that job and while I get one of the guys to go over and cover it," Frank said in a tone that made it clear that this was a demand disguised as a request, and John would have no choice in the matter. "I need to go up and play Santa Claus in five minutes, I can't stick around. Merry Christmas John," and the large man waddled out of the hut with his coffee, leaving John fuming in his chair. The young worker wanted to scream out, but instead he angrily threw his broken cup into the sink and buttoned his coat back up, storming out into the storm.

_Bloody hell, has it gotten colder? _John thought angrily as he stomped through the snow, the falling flakes trying to blind him as he stumbled over railway lines hidden by the white, wishing now that he had simply gotten in his car and left when he had the chance.

There was only one train in this part of the sidings, with a few random trucks and coaches scattered about. John huffed as he approached the mixed freight train and he checked to see where he had to start from. Half of the train was done, but the snow had picked up, and John knew it would take a while to get this all done by himself. He quickly went through the remaining trucks, trying to concentrate on doing everything properly, but his anger at being given the extra job stuck on his mind, and John took it out on the trucks.

"Oh damnit," John snapped as he came upon one of the last trucks and saw the brake pipe had frozen to the side. He angrily pulled at it, trying to break it free from the ice, but it remained stuck and John's hand slipped across the rough surface. Flesh was torn, and John cried out in pain as he fell backwards and managed to land on a spot with very little snow. Swearing, John quickly leapt back to his feet and examined the train: only two trucks and a brake van were left to be coupled together, and there was still no sign of Duck. John looked around to see if anyone was watching him, and then he angrily turned and hobbled through the snow, clutching his bleeding hand as dampness spread through his clothes, not staying a minute longer. The proper replacement would be there soon enough, and he would be able to finish the job. If John got caught, he would say that he had received an emergency call and had to leave immediately, or argue he had finished for the day and was allowed to leave anyway. No one was likely to question that, and John managed to smile, thinking that he was being very clever

On a railway, one small mistake can have huge consequences further down the line. Information getting lost as it was passed between signalbox to station could lead to a variety of incidents, not properly coupling a train together could led to trucks coming free, and simply not organising a train so it can leave on time can cause a series of delays, and when it occurs during such a stressed, busy and dangerous time as winter, these delays can have unexpected results.

As John drove away into the snowy night, he had no idea that not completing this job was going to have dramatic consequences to many engines on the railway that night, and when he heard of the accident at Crovan's Gate the next morning, it would dawn on him that it could have all been his fault.

**Apologises for a lack of engines in this chapter, but I had to set up this part of the plot. The rest of the story will focus all on the railway and the roads**


	2. Running Late

**Chapter One: Running Late**

As Duck raced through the snowy night, one thought crossed his mind: Elizabeth was not a lorry you wanted angry.

It was hardly his fault that he was running late. He had arrived at Tidmouth with his passenger train on time, all passengers had disembarked briskly, and then Duck had raced to the sidings to collect the goods train he had to take back to Arlesburgh. Duck knew the sidings like the back of his buffers from his years as the pilot engine, and was quickly able to navigate his way to the correct siding, where the train had appeared ready to take away. However, once Duck was coupled to the front truck and had started to leave, the last part of the train, including the brake van, remained behind.

Duck was forced to stop, and it took several minutes before a shunter could be located. Once they arrived, the train was delayed further by a frozen brake pipe that had not been noticed. The Pannier tank engine waited silently but impatiently, wondering what the issue was and knowing the trouble this was likely to cause. Henry was taking the Flying Kipper tonight, a train Duck had avoided after his last incident with it all those years ago, and this train being delayed was bound to cause problems there.

The issue was finally sorted, and Duck left as quickly as the icy rails and poor visibility allowed. He passed Henry on another line and gave him a friendly whistle before tearing onto the open line, going onto his branch line and rattling into the distance.

_I should have arrived about ten minutes ago, _Duck thought to himself as the trucks rattled behind him. _Elizabeth won't be pleased: she'll have a tight enough schedule tonight without this holding her back. _He was bound for a verbal onslaught upon arrival, and Duck mentally prepared himself for that, which helped in taking his mind off the chilly wind that threatened to freeze his wheels.

Finally, half an hour behind schedule, Duck pulled into Arlesburgh Station, exhausted from the hard run but still feeling cold, the weather showing no signs of stopping. Patches of the River Arle had already frozen over, and Duck looked across at his eponymous bridge to the currently abandoned construction site for the new shunting yards and railway heading north. The station should have been a Winter Wonderland, but it seemed more like a frozen graveyard within this silent, unmoving world.

"Well well well, look who _finally _arrived!" Someone snapped, and Duck resisted a smirk as he glanced to his right. Elizabeth was parked right next to the station, but was on the Arlesdale Railway level, so for once she was able to properly look down at Duck. The lorry usually looked like she had just taken on several litres of lemon fuel, but she looked angrier than ever as she gazed coldly at the steam engine. Some engines would have been afraid, and while Duck had been concerned over her reaction, the hilarious way her face had puffed up only made him smile.

"Don't smirk at me!" Elizabeth purred angrily. "I have been waiting in the snow for you to arrive for nearly an hour! Try and be a bit more considerate in the future, Montague, we don't all have the wonders of being able to put on snowploughs and simply shove it all aside! The snow has picked up in the last little bit, and if there is any sort of avalanche in these bloody cliffs, I am tipping my next load onto your coaches!" Duck glanced around and saw that a thick blanket of snow already covered most of the tracks, and knew that it would be just as bad on the open roads.

"Sorry Elizabeth, but I can assure you this was not my fault," Duck explained guiltily as workers rushed through the snow and began unloading supplies from one truck. "Half of my train had not been coupled together when it should have –"

"Oh stop with the excuses Duck!" A quieter but just as grumpy voice snapped from behind Elizabeth. "Just accept the blame and be quiet!" Duck had to roll forwards a few inches in order to see Mike, and was amused to see the proud little red engine was secured to a large flatbed joined to Elizabeth, and neither of them seemed happy about it.

A few days ago, Mike had derailed after crashing into a rock hidden by the snow. The red engine had fairly dented himself up and broken his front axle, and now had to go to Crovan's Gate to get proper repairs as their workmen were off for the holiday season. Going by lorry was easiest when it came to transferring the undersized engines, and though Madge had been booked to take Mike, a scheduling conflict had led to Elizabeth doing the job, which she considered 'degrading.'

"Hauling other vehicles around is a waste of my time," the lorry had been heard to complain on multiple occasions, "If they can't get to where they want to go on their own wheels then that is hardly my issue!" Duck remembered this and smirked to himself again, earning him two sets of angry expressions.

"What are you laughing about?" Mike grumbled.

"Nothing, nothing," Duck replied, but struggled to contain his own laughter, and Elizabeth and Mike continued to glare down at him as workers moved between the truck and Elizabeth's flatbed, loading a lot of crates that needed to be delivered to Ulfstead. It was quite clear Mike was just as annoyed about having to travel with Elizabeth as the lorry was about having to haul him, and Duck could not help but be amused.

Snow continued to fall around them, and Elizabeth watched as the ground became covered with layers and layers of the frozen flakes. It was going to be a long journey to get to Crovan's Gate, and her driver began to refuel her as they waited for the workers to finish loading her up, and Elizabeth was doubtful as to how safely she would be able to reach her destination in this weather with such a heavy flatbed behind.

"Can we get a move on?" Mike snapped. "I don't want to stay on this darn flatbed all night!"

"Oh be quiet!" Elizabeth snapped. "I don't particularly want to be dragging a whiny little engine around all night either, so keep your tiny trap shut and this evening will be done before any of us even realise it!" Duck knew that this was a dangerous combination of two very stuck up, very proud and very aggressive characters, and he wondered which of them emerged victorious before the night ended.

"Alright, I believe we're ready now," Elizabeth's driver said as a tarp was pulled over her bed of crates and tied down.

"Finally," Elizabeth growled, and her driver rolled his eyes as he climbed into the cab and started her up. With a roar that echoed throughout the yard, the lorry started up, and not a moment too soon: without even waiting for the workers to get out of the way, Elizabeth moved forwards, quickly turning around in order to go in the proper direction. She bounced over the tracks, and Mike yelled out as the flatbed flew around, nearly going over the side onto Duck's branch line.

"WATCH IT!" He shouted angrily, and Duck watched in shock as Elizabeth tore out of the yard and disappeared into the night.

"Wow…," the tank engine said. "You would not see that on the Great Western Railway," he mumbled, before setting off himself to deal with the rest of the trucks, wondering once more how well Elizabeth's journey was going to go on such a grim, snowy night.

* * *

On the other side of the Sodor, the snow was falling just as heavily, and as Edward crossed the bridge towards Barrow-in-Furness, the wise engine could not help but wonder if he would end up in the sea.

Edward remembered the incident two years ago with the exploding fireworks truck, and this felt just as dangerous. The wind howled here above the open water, and the bridge seemed to shake with every gust that struck it, the frozen metal constantly moaning and groaning.

_That is always reassuring, _Edward thought gloomily as he chugged slowly and unsurely across the structure. He did not like being out in this type of weather much in the first place, as there were so many accidents that could occur, from sudden snow drifts to snow blindness or slipping on icy rails. Being an elderly engine, Edward always tried his best to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary accidents that could prove too costly the older he became, and being out in this weather was the last thing he wanted.

However, there were still jobs that needed to be done, and Edward knew he should enjoy the fact that Sir Topham Hatt still relied on him to do special tasks, even if he was a delicate old engine.

"Edward, a very special engine is coming to our Island," the Fat Controller had told him early this afternoon at Wellsworth. "His name is Marco, and he was one of the first engines built that is capable of tilting a few degrees on either side, which allows him to go around tight corners without slowing down. The Electric branch line is looking into purchasing a new engine like this as tilting mechanisms are becoming quite common, and Marco is one of the few diesel locomotives of this type. Marco will spend the night at Crovan's Gate, but as there is expected to be bad weather, I would like him to be guided there by someone that knows the way well."

Edward accepted the job in a second: it was always nice to get out of his branch line and trundle down the Main Line, and he was always interested in seeing changes and developments of his fellow engines, and Edward was looking forward to seeing this tilting mechanism in action.

_That is, if I can actually complete this job, _Edward thought as the wind and snow continued to batter him, making his entire body rattle. The end of the bridge was near and they would soon be in the shelter of the yard, but Edward could see that snow was starting to pile up on the tracks, and it would be worse on flat land without any wind to blow it away.

"We should have brought my snowplough, we may need it on the way back!" Edward shouted out to his driver. They had been strapped for time due to the late notice of the special, and the snowplough had been forgotten as they had rushed towards Vicarstown.

"I will see if we can find one at Barrow, but I cannot be too certain!" His driver shouted back, and Edward simply grimaced and hoped that the snow drifts would not be too bad. As he thought this, he noticed the wind had begun to die down and realised they were away from the stormy channel, leaving the rattling bridge behind and sailing towards Barrow Station.

Edward had not been here since he had passed through twice during his fireworks adventure with Gordon two years ago. After passing beneath a road bridge, the blue engine emerged into a small station, consisting of a central building and several platforms connected by foot bridges. A lot of sidings came out from here, leading towards a shunting yard, a turntable and a small sheds area. In the distance, Edward could see a few houses and other buildings away from the railway, but the falling snow prevented him from seeing anything further on.

"Is Marco here yet?" Edward asked as he came to a stop right outside the station, where several workers were waiting to greet them.

"Doesn't look like it, he is supposed to wait directly at the station," Edward's driver said. "We'll move you into a siding and fit you with a snowplough if they have one, and then turn you around so we are ready to go." He and the fireman quickly jumped out of the cab to discuss things with the yard manager first, leaving Edward to simply sit and wait, staring forwards as he waited for this new engine to arrive.

"Hello there, Sodor engine are you?" Edward jumped in surprise, having thought everyone had gone inside or moved away. He looked around, wondering if this was Marco, but the voice was much too feminine. Finally, as a gust of wind sent the snow spiralling away, and the blue engine saw a tank engine waiting in a siding on the other side of a platform.

"Oh, hello there, I didn't see you!" Edward said, laughing. "You must be Arianna. I am Edward, I am the main engine on one of the branch lines."

"Oooh, so _your_ Edward," Arianna said with a thoughtful look. "That is interesting…" The tank engine had been jointly purchased by British Railways and the North Western Railway only a few months ago in order to work this shunting yard, as well as occasionally taking high-paying enthusiasts train around the local area. She had dark purple paint that almost looked black, with elegant gold lining that helped make her stick out from the snow. Edward had not met Arianna yet due to her place of residence, and was glad to finally have an opportunity to meet the engine he had only heard about.

"I am surprised you know of me," Edward said with a kindly smile.

"With so few steam engines about, you could only be one of a handful," Arianna replied. "I have spoken to a few of your tender engines, as it is such a relief to finally meet some other steam engines after all this time." Arianna paused, a certain look suddenly descending upon her face. "A few of them have mentioned you, though the comments I would not exactly say are complimentary. Are you as old and stuffy as that James says you are?" Edward was taken aback by this, especially as Arianna flashed a cheeky grin in his direction that reminded him far too much of one particular tank engine.

"I am sure James sees me that way, but that is more just his personality," he replied, and Arianna chortled.

"He can hardly talk though! He has a certain air about him, you know what I mean? He struck me as being rather… snobbish, you could say," the tank engine continued, looking up at the clouds and she thought over her words. Edward found himself rather confused by this engine, not quite sure what to think of her insulting of other engines. He wanted to bring her up on it, but the tank engine seemed to have seen his reaction and blew her whistle loudly.

"I better get back to work, some of us have to do more than guide other engines about," Adrianna called, and she winked at Edward as she reversed from her siding, pulling a short train of fuel tankers with her.

_Is she actually that rude, or was she yanking my wheels? _Edward thought in shock, not sure what to make of the newcomer. As he sat there waiting for his crew to reappear or Marco to arrive, the tender engine thought back to what the other engines had said of Arianna, and could remember Gordon, Henry and BoCo all replying with either disinterested grunts or remarking on her 'unique' personality.

"She's unique alright," Edward thought huffily, and watched as Arianna disappeared into the snow, though the sounds of her puffing and the clanging of trucks bashing together continued to reach him. It almost felt as though Edward had entered some other ghostly world, where he and this Arianna were the only ones left. The yard was deserted, and the snow that continued to pile up gave it a derelict feeling. Edward wanted to get back to more familiar areas, regretting his yearn for an excursion, the dark grey clouds above giving him a chill. There was a chance the weather was going to get worse, and Edward did not want to end up running late, or become trapped on this side of the Walney Channel with only a rude tank engine, a mysterious new engine and the never ending snow for company.

**The first of the new characters to be introduced! Let me know what your first impressions of Adrianna now, she will be a recurring character throughout my own little Sodor world. **


	3. Flying Angry

**Chapter Two: Flying Angry**

"Perfect, just perfect!" Henry fumed as he roared out of Tidmouth Station, instantly being struck by the seemingly never ending snow that had consumed the Island. The big green engine stared angrily up at the clouds, somehow knowing that this ghastly weather would have something to do with making him late.

"We should have been on the Main Line ages ago!" Henry shouted back to his driver. The reasons for the delay had gone unexplained while Henry had sat steaming at Tidmouth Station, surrounded by people making rude comments about the smell of fish wafting from the vans coupled behind, many of them thinking it was him. It was dreadfully embarrassing, and had only added to Henry's rage.

"Sorry Henry, but Duck was delayed leaving the sidings, so we had to wait for him to leave before the tracks would be properly cleared," his driver shouted back above the wind. Henry knew safety came first during the winter season, and with low visibility it would have been easy for the two engines to have collided if the wrong tracks had been switched.

"That doesn't explain why we had to wait for twenty minutes!" Henry huffed, not satisfied and still wishing to vent.

"We would have gone straight through, but our delay meant that they sent James and his passenger train first and let Bear come through with his goods train," the driver replied. "They have to be efficient during this time of year, and delaying stressed out passengers is something the railway does not need to deal with. Come on now Henry, you know how it gets! We'll make excellent time on the open line though, don't worry!"

But Henry was worried. Many of the engines had long said that the Flying Kipper was cursed, and while the green engine ignored their silly complaints, it was always a bad sign when he got off to a delayed start. And it had been snowing the first time Henry had taken this train all those years ago, and that had not ended well. Sometimes, he would dream about the brake van that had come out of nowhere, his world flipping upside down as pain rippled throughout his body, the endless cold as he lay wearily in the snow… Henry never wanted to have to experience that again, and hoped that this trip would go a lot better, but the horrible weather, the delays and the tight schedule he was on were all factors that could lead to yet another disaster.

_Imagine if I had an accident and this new engine saw it, _Henry thought. Everyone was talking about this modern engine designed to tilt that was arriving this very evening. It seemed rather unlikely, and indeed James' attempts to mimic this engine had nearly led to his own derailment, so all the steam engines were fascinated to see him in action. Henry was eagerly waiting to see him as well, and wanted to make sure that there were no accidents that would prevent him from meeting and marvelling at the new engine.

_Let's actually get back on schedule, and then that will never have to happen, _the green engine thought, and he pounded across the snowy tracks, his snowplough pushing through the flakes that had begun to pile up. Having the protection was of mild relief to Henry, who knew he would be unlikely to get caught up in any major snow drifts, but he still was weary of the weather. This cold blast had come out of nowhere and had quickly covered the island with ice and snow, and there were plenty of crash opportunities on the lines ahead.

Henry carried on down the open line, the houses and businesses slowly starting to thin as he entered the Knapford Tunnel. The sound of his wheels clattering and the long line of fishy vans behind him rattling echoed inside the brick-half cylinder, and Henry savoured the comforting noise and brief protection from the snow outside. He appeared to be making up for lost time, and thought ahead to completing things on schedule.

They quickly passed through the tunnel and emerged in the town of Knapford, with the sea in the distance and quainter houses surrounding the rails. Henry began to relax, as the line appeared clear up ahead, and he knew he could make up for the lost time.

"Damnit, I thought this would have been cleared already!" His driver snapped from his cab, his voice carrying on the wind, and Henry was left confused as to what he was talking about. However, all was revealed as he left the safety of the tunnel and emerged into Knapford Station. Thomas' branch line lay to his right, the nearby farmlands hidden under fields of snow, but the view was quickly obscured by two engines: Thomas himself was on one side of a platform, while James was waiting on the other with his passenger train.

"What are you doing here?" Henry huffed as he sailed to a stop on the other line, glazing angrily at Thomas and James. "You left before I did, you should be miles ahead!"

"I am aware of that," James snapped, "but there is something blocking the line. Didn't your crew get the call?" Henry was confused, but his driver quickly answered.

"We did," he called out, "though I simply thought it would have been cleared by now." Henry was curious, and as he put together what his driver had said to what was going on, he noticed that there were men moving towards the railway lines. At first, it looked as though there was a large amount of snow on the line, but then there was the sharp noise of a tiny motor echoing through the silent night, and Henry saw that something much more solider was covering the tracks, the men approaching it with several portable machines that glinted in the dim moonlight.

"A load of timber on Bear's train fell off as he came through," Thomas explained to Henry. "They weren't properly tied down or something. There was already this delay going on and there are no cranes about, so Bear went on ahead and they are going to cut the timber into smaller pieces with chain saws and move it off the rails." Henry looked again and could make out two men dragging one already cut-up pile away from the rails and towards the platform, but there was still plenty of activity going on both lines.

"This is ridiculous!" Henry said angrily. "I am already running late, I need to get a move on! Why was I not aware of this before we left Tidmouth?"

"I told you, I thought it would have already been moved," his driver said, appearing next to him on the platform. "The stationmaster gave us permission to leave after they told us about it, saying that it should be cleared before we got there, as they wanted your line to be freed up, and your trucks were making the entire station stink. There is no need to get angry, we will just have to wait!"

"This isn't good for anyone Henry," James said with a sly grin. "No one wants to be next to you and your smelly vans!" He and Thomas both laughed, and Henry huffed and looked in the opposite direction, slinking back into his annoyance. He waited five irritable minutes as the workmen cut through the timber with their chainsaws, the snow gathering around his plough, before one of them finally gave the signal that the line was clear. Henry lit up, ready to get back to his delivery, but James blew his whistle and whooshed steam and snow into his face.

"Not yet my fishy friend! I am ahead of you on the schedule, I need to get to Crovan's Gate first!" The red engine said, and a guard's whistle sounded from the back of his coaches. Henry was aghast, and watched angrily as James soared laughing from the station. He knew known of this would have happened if he had left on time, as Bear would have arrived after he had left this station. Now the green engine would have to wait long enough to put distance between himself and James, and that was only going to delay his delivery further and push him for time, and Henry could not help but feel angry.  
"Come now Henry, be patient!" Thomas said teasingly from the platform. "How do you think I feel about being pulled away from my work to bring workers up here and sit in the cold while some huffy tender engines sit about complaining?"

"Who was the engine that spent _months_ complaining to us huffy tender engines when the viaduct was being strengthened?" Henry snapped back, missing the mocking tone of Thomas' voice in his anger. His crew had climbed back onboard, preparing to set off once more, and Henry watched as the piles of timber were dragged through the snow, adding the blame for his delays on to them.

"Touchy, are we?" Thomas laughed. "Are we worried that if we aren't on time, we will have another accident with our cursed train?" Henry was sick of being mocked and dealing with all of these delays and could not take it a second longer. He stared at Thomas and flared up, unable to hold it in.

"At least I am not some silly little tank engine that managed to drive into a house, or left my very first train behind!" He snapped. "You can hardly mock my accidents when you stupid tank engines always have far worse accidents! Didn't you break down a few years and had to be rescued by Toby? Or how about the time Percy managed to send you fleeing in fright down your own branch line? Do not even try to tease me Thomas when we both know you have had the stupider accidents!" Thomas looked as if he had just noticed a runaway train coming towards him, and Henry felt some bitter satisfaction as his guard blew the whistle, signalling for him to go. The green engine quickly gathered speed, and was moving at a reasonable pace once more within a minute. He left the station and a stunned Thomas behind, and though the green engine felt sorry for the insults and his short temper, he was simply glad to have put another engine in their place, and was able to focus once more on completing his journey at hand as safely and as quickly as possible.

Thomas watched as Henry disappeared into the night, not quite sure what to think. He didn't even register the sounds of another engine approaching until they appeared alongside, and Thomas briefly registered Arthur's appearance, the dark red tank engine filling the line James had just vacated. The workers moved between them both on the platform, moving back towards the brake van that Thomas had brought them in as the timber lay piled on the tracks.

"Hello Thomas," Arthur said, his usual cheery self. "Has the line been cleared yet?"

"Yes, Henry just left," Thomas said with a touch of bitterness. Arthur looked shocked, but before he could ask what was wrong, Thomas sounded his whistle and began to move off, leaving Arthur and the piles of timber behind without another word. He glanced down the Main Line, wondering where Henry had gotten to, and dwelled over the big engines words as he set off down his branch line.


	4. The Old and the New

**Sorry for the delay! At this rate, we won't be done until next Christmas :P**

**Chapter Three: The Old and the New **

Snow continued to fall all across the island, and many engines, vehicles and their drivers and operators were beginning to get concerned. There was very low visibility, and the snow was starting to bury the lines and form thick layers upon the roads. By morning, the entire island could be snowed in once more, but during the night, there was the serious danger of accidents occurring and that the snow could lead to communications failing or prevent them from being accessed.

"This weather is truly dreadful, isn't it?" Gordon said, staring across an empty Crovan's Gate, watching as flakes fell within the light of the various lamp posts positioned around the yard. Light was spilling out from the Works, turning the snow the colour of lemons and hinting at signs of life, but otherwise everything was quiet. Gordon's crew had just stated they were being held up, as they were waiting to hear if Edward had started back yet, as he was due to have reached Vicarstown a short while ago and they did not want to risk a collision.

"I have always liked snow," Ivo Hugh said from the Narrow Gauge platform. Behind him were a small row of empty coaches, the passengers now all aboard the much bigger coaches shivering behind Gordon. The little engines crew were indulging in coffee with Gordon's crew and the station staff as they all waited to hear about Edward, leaving the engines to wait for them out in the cold.

"Snow can be quite wonderful, but only during the day when we have a chance to truly marvel at it," Gordon replied, "and especially when it stays off the lines! When it piles up around us like this, it can only lead to accidents. Of course, they only happen to young, inexperienced engines like you, not to engines like me that know these tracks from memory!" Ivo Hugh merely mumbled in agreement, not entirely sure what to say to the big engine and left him to his own self satisfaction. Gordon noted the disinterest and scoffed, not needing the approval of such a small engine anyway.

"What is Edward doing on the Mainland anyway?" Ivo Hugh asked, trying to fill in time and awkwardness. "I thought he worked on a branch line."

"Sir Topham Hatt wanted Edward to greet a visiting engine," Gordon replied drolly, "though I am not sure why he wanted such an old and worn out engine to represent the railway!"

"Do you think it should have been you?" Ivo Hugh asked with a hint of sarcasm, and Gordon winked at the little engine.

"Indeed, I would have been a splendid guide! And it would have prevented me from having to talk to silly little engines!" Gordon chuckled at his own little joke while Ivo Hugh rolled his eyes, having learnt to expect this sort of behaviour from Gordon. The big blue engine stared at the rails ahead, wondering if he would be seeing Edward and this tilting engine some point soon…

Truthfully, there was only one reason why Gordon wanted to meet the new engine. Ever since the Express had been taken away from him, the once proud and gallant engine had begun to feel old. It felt odd to no longer take what had once been his signature train, and it pained him every time Pip and Emma passed him or he saw them in the distance. For years, those two had been the epitome of modern engines, and while Gordon was proud of the way he looked and how powerful he was, their speed and sleek designs had always made him envious.

And now there was a new style of engine that was even more modern than Pip and Emma! It almost seemed ridiculous that they were all getting worked up about being able to tilt around corners without slowing down or upsetting passengers, but this was something the engines had never even imagined, and it was going to be amazing to see it in action. Gordon, however, could not get over the fact that more and more sleeker and modern engines were coming into the Island.

_How long until the Fat Controller no longer sees any worth in us? _Gordon thought to himself, and stared down at Ivo Hugh. _All the little engines are privately owned and operated, they are proper heritage railways. I still have to work to prove myself, and the Fat Controller has already realised my age. How long until he takes away all my duties all together and ships me away to the scrap yard? _

Gordon fell gloomily silent, the thoughts that had haunted him for days creeping back. He wanted to see this new engine and find out just how worried he should be, hoping that this engine turned out to be just as pitiful and boring as the rest of the diesels that trumped through their railway.

There was the sound of a door opening and closing, and Gordon and Ivo Hugh both looked around as their crews emerged, biding each other farewell before separating to their respective engines.

"Are we going now?" Gordon asked, thankful for anything to take his mind off things. "I thought we were supposed to leave a while ago."

"We were waiting to hear if we were going to run into Edward and this visitor on our way up there," his driver replied, coming around to check the snow that had built up around his snowplough. "However, we cannot get hold of anyone at Vicarstown, so we have to risk things now or get snowed in here. You need to be on the look out for Edward's appearance and see if there is any chance he has had an accident on the way, just in case, and we will move a bit slower to make sure nothing bad happens."

"Are we sure this is safe?" Gordon asked, not particularly wanting to have an accident on such a cold night, as there were only open sidings from here until Vicarstown. He could almost imagine Edward and him meeting in the middle of the tunnel…

"All of this stuff is mostly precautions," his driver called out as he moved back to the cab. "Edward and this Marco engine are meant to be on a different track all together, but we are just being prepared in case there are any accidents. We don't know where Edward currently is, but I highly doubt we are going to smack into him."

"Only if you're sure," Gordon mumbled back, feeling barely reassured. _I bet these modern engines can sense each other! They might as well be able to fly… _

"The guard is going to explain it all to the passengers while we move," the voice of Gordon's fireman said, and Gordon felt his crew climb aboard and begin to get him ready. Ivo Hugh was already moving off, and Gordon blew his whistle in farewell, and got a quiet peep back as he trundled away to their smaller sidings and the little sheds beyond.

_Those engines have nothing to worry about, do they? _The blue engine thought gloomily to himself. He wheeshed steam, sending snow cascading back into the air, and as he began to roll out of the yard, Gordon watched it fall back to Earth. He could only wonder what it would be like when left the quiet, bright safety of this yard, and imagined what it would be like when he met this new engine.

* * *

Edward was the sort of engine who, even after all these years, was able to stay cool, calm and relaxed for long periods of time, and it usually took a lot of bother to get him angry or impatient, and even though he could get back to normal quickly.

But after only half an hour of waiting, the blue engine felt more annoyed than he had ever been.

Edward was now facing the line back to Sodor, and his brief excursion to the turntable had been the only eventful thing to occur in the last short while. They were still waiting for Marco, and nothing would happen until he appeared. No snow plough had been procured, so Edward received little distraction from the grey and white world that surrounded them, staring warily at the tracks ahead that seemed to disappear into nothing. There were the echoing, constant noises coming from Arianna as she went about her work, and Edward almost wished she was there to talk to, anything to take his mind off the weather.

_Where is this engine? _Edward thought impatiently, glancing behind, expecting every second that the tilting engine would appear. _He was meant to be here ages ago, and if we do not head across the bridge soon, there is a chance we could get snowed in on this side! _He did not want to be annoyed, and felt irritated with himself for being so irrational, but the foul weather, dreadful location and long wait where all building up to make for one grumpy old engine.

His crew appeared a moment after this thought crossed his mind, shivering as they clutched their coats to their bodies and warm drinks in their hands.

"We have received word from Marco's driver that they are nearly here. There was some sort of delay that held them up, but regardless, we will be ready to leave soon!"

"Good," Edward huffed, making his crew smirk. Everyone always found it funny when Edward got in a bad mood, as if old, wise engines were not allowed to be anything but friendly and insightful. Edward simply looked to the line, waiting for this engine to arrive so he could brave this storm and get on home.

It took another quarter of an hour though before they finally heard a sharp, sleek horn sound in the distance, and a sudden rattling louder than Arianna and her trucks sounded from behind. Edward watched as a silhouette got closer and closer, and there was a sudden blast of wind as Marco pulled up alongside.

"Evening there, you must be Edward!" The diesel-electric engine cried, and Edward was finally able to lay his eyes upon this mysterious character. Marco's smooth, sleek face was yellow like many of the diesels, with a black window right above and headlights on either side. The rest of his front was a light shade of red, but this turned to silver throughout the remainder of his paintwork. There were four coaches behind him that made up the engine, similar to Pip and Emma, and Edward had to admit he was initially impressed.

"Hello, yes, I am Edward, and I presume you are Marco."

"You presume correctly!" Marco boomed. He sounded as though he was trying to be posh or impressive, and Edward's smile faltered a bit at this, but he kept it up despite the smug expression planted firmly on Marco's place. "My goodness, I must say, this yard appears to be a bit run down! Does it always look this bad, or did you dress it down for me?" He laughed loudly at his own joke, and Edward made himself laugh a bit as well as to not upset him.

"It is as nice as a yard can get really, the snow just makes everything look a bit old and abandoned when it gets like this," the steam engine explained, though when he looked at Marco, the diesel engine was staring in the opposite direction, clearly not paying attention. "So… was it a long journey, or just made difficult?" Marco seemed not to hear, and Edward blew his whistle, making the diesel jump.

"My goodness, I have not hears a whistle in years!" He said, staring at Edward as if he was some alien creature. "You must be very old…"

"How was your journey?" Edward inquired, struggling to keep his smile up.

"My journey? It was fine!" Marco replied. "They must have cleared the rails or another engine had gone ahead because there was barely any snow, and I did not have to stop at any stations so I merely glided here!" Edward's face fell, remembering what his crew had said about there being a delay, and he could see his crew looked confused out of the corner of his eyes as they checked no snow had built up around him.

"Why did it take you so long to get here then?" The blue engine asked, wondering what his answer or excuse would be. "You were due a while ago, we heard there had been a delay!"

"Was I?" Marco said, disinterested. "Oh yes, that's right! We were ready to go on time, but my crew thought _you_ would be late, being a rusted old steam engine, of course, so we dilly-dallied about the yard for a little bit, chatting to the other engines, my crew made some drinks for the trip, that sort of thing. I never imagined that you would actually be here on time!" Edward wanted to say something, shout something, give this rude, insolent, new fangled engine a piece of his mind. It took all of his restraint to hold his words back, forcing himself to remember all the tricks Bill and Ben had pulled, all the comments Gordon, Henry and James had said…

_They all got their comeuppance in the end, _Edward thought, _and so will he, though just not from me, and not before he makes this long trip worthwhile… _A laugh sounded from nearby, and Edward and Marco both looked around as Arianna rattled across a set of tracks towards a siding with a water tower. She was glancing at them with a smirk on her face, and Edward knew that she must have heard Marco, even though she had not noticed the engine. _Very good at blending in, this one, _Edward thought icily, directing his glare towards the purple engine, who winked back at him in response.

"You steam engines are very odd," Marco said, shaking his body in over exaggerated confusion.

"Indeed…," Edward said through pursed lips that made him look like Elizabeth. His crew moved across to the other platform to introduce himself to Marco's operator, and Edward listened to the friendly banter, no longer bothering to try it with Marco, the tilting engine staring off into space, probably wondering what prehistoric railway he was about to encounter.

"Its time we head off Edward, I expect we are causing worry across the canal," his driver said as he and the fireman clambered up the footplate. "There is some sort of power problem affecting the communications, so they won't know why we're late."

"I am sure they will love the reasons why," Edward said, and Marco merely nodded, missing the sarcasm. A few minutes later, Edward was steamed up, and he whistled loudly to Adrianna as he headed off in front, glad to leave the yard behind and continue with his journey.

"Remember Edward, _you're _the guide, not him!" The tank engine called, and Edward could not help but smirk as he rattled away into the night: he was definitely slower than the multiple unit engine, and Edward thought quite frankly that if he could slow the engine up, than there was a bit of comeuppance for him after all.

**Initial thoughts on Marco? And I promise I am not going all Sharon Miller on the character's personalities, though they may seem a bit different from usual in this chapter! :p**


	5. Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**Chapter Four: Friends Close, Enemies Closer**

The night was cold and dark on the open road. The snow was as constant here as it was at Arlesburgh, but in many spots out here, the snow had been piling for days with no one bothering to clear it. It was either covering fields and gardens as if someone had spread it all across, or it was piled precariously on surrounding cliffs or on the side of the road, threatening to blow over at the next gust of wind and cut the road off.

Elizabeth was travelling along the road between Arlesburgh and Ffarqhuar, the only strip that connected the two different branch lines together. She had the Hackenbeck River flowing to her left, though it was just as still as the rest of the island was, likely haven frozen over in the very low temperatures. It was too dark to see anything though, and Elizabeth was focussing entirely on the road ahead that glowed in the bright yellow of her headlights. She could feel the snow beneath her broad tires which were supposed to help her on during icy conditions like this, but Elizabeth was certain she had nearly skidded at least twice on a frozen patch of water. And thick tires would do nothing if the snow banks enclosing them decided to come crashing down, or if one appeared out of nowhere.

_The engines always complain about the snow being a danger to them, _Elizabeth thought grumpily. _They only ever have accidents though if they are as thick as the little one behind me. They have separate rails that only ever managed a small amount of snow in between them ploughing it all aside. Out on the road, everything can go wrong in a second, and there is no breakdown crane that can be magically procured and put everything right!_

Angry, Elizabeth angrily revved up towards a small snow bank, ploughing through it and sending the flakes flying. However, her left front tyre hit something more solid, and for a moment Elizabeth slid to the right hand side of the road, skidding across the thin ice. Her driver managed to get back control, but Mike's flatbed swung around dangerously, nearly crashing into a surrounding fence.

"Watch it you!" The little engine growled. "I don't want to arrive at the Works requiring anything more than my current condition!"

"Keep that lip up and I'll throw you into the river and go home!" Elizabeth growled. She had not wanted this job for two reasons. One, the road was dangerous at night, and the lorry wanted to survive as much as any vehicle. It may be quiet with less imbeciles to deal with, but Elizabeth would rather work during the day when the streets were crowded with oversized cars buzzing about to shopping centres, as then she could at least see everything.

And the second reason was Mike. Elizabeth had been to the smallest railway enough times to get a grip of his personality: rude, stuck up, superior, thought he was the best of all the midget engines. Elizabeth could not stand engines or vehicles like that, even though many of them had the audacity to say _she _was like them! But Elizabeth was not going to let the rude engine get the upper wheel with her.

"Is there a reason why this is taking so long?" Mike squawked from behind. "Is there not a faster route to the Works, like going along the Main Line?"

"We would have gone that way if we did not have other jobs to do," Elizabeth snapped. "The Island does not revolve around you, Mike! I need to collect some crates from Ffarqhuar Station that have just arrived by boat." Her boss had thought it best to combine as many jobs as possible, even though it meant Elizabeth would have to travel too many back roads for her liking. Mike, however, simply scoffed.

"Seems pretty silly," he huffed. The little engine was annoyed himself about this whole debacle. When he had had his accident, Mike had thought he would be able to be easily repaired and get back to work in a few days. Instead, he had to sit in a siding waiting for the right time to be collected by Elizabeth rather than be properly repaired, and he now had to be driven all across the Island just to be repaired. He might not have minded if he had gone by rail, as then it would be quicker and more familiar, but instead Mike was on the icy road on a barely attached flatbed that was swinging around like it was about to snap off. It was an uncomfortable way to travel, though it may have been better if Elizabeth had not been the lorry that was taking him. She was known across the Island as rude and snobbish to everyone, and Mike could see now that she was terrible on the roads as well.

_I cannot believe the Small Controller is trusting me with such a brute! _Mike thought as they turned a corner and the back tyres of the flatbed briefly left the road. It would be a miracle if he actually survived all the way to Ffarqhuar, even the Works!

"I think something is wrong with the flatbed, it is swinging around too much!" Mike cried out.

"Be quiet, I need to concentrate!" Elizabeth snapped back. "It is probably just the ice, stop complaining!" A moment later, they went over another bump, and Mike cried out as he began to roll along the bed, nearly tipping over the side.

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!" He shouted angrily. "Do you treat all your deliveries like this or is it just some special treatment reserved only for me?"

"Are you always whiny or is it reserved only for me?" Elizabeth retorted furiously.

"I am not whiny, I am afraid for my life, there is a difference, you ugly bloody lorry!" Mike snapped. Elizabeth gasped in rage and angrily blew her horn, the sharp noise echoing throughout the night. Her driver put the window down and leaned out, looking frightened as he tried to control Elizabeth.

"Calm down both of you, we need to concentrate on the road ahead!" He shouted. Elizabeth held back from any further insults as she turned down a left fork in the road, heading past more houses, though she thought of what she could do to the irritable little engine when she next had the chance. Mike remained silent as well, even though he was now jumping every few seconds as the flatbed crunched over rocks and holes in the road, occasionally skidding on the ice.

For about five minutes they were silent, and the two began to calm down as they moved through the silent street, glittering Christmas lights adding a mix of colours to the snow. Mike smiled at all the decorations, having never seen so many decorations at one time. It was rather mesmerizing, a beautiful, multi coloured display, and Mike began to forget all about his worries.

_I hope I can make it home in time for Christmas, _Mike thought, staring at the flickering lights, though he was doubtful: there was no way he would have been sent to Crovan's Gate if it was just a small job. _Maybe I will have to spend the holidays without them…_

"BUGGER!" Elizabeth suddenly shouted as they rounded a corner. Mike looked up just in time to see a wall of snow coming towards them, and he shut his eyes as Elizabeth ploughed into it, brakes and tyres screeching. There was a soft thud as Elizabeth drove into the pile of snow, sending a flurry of flakes back into the air, and the flatbed swung around, nearly hitting the bank as well.

There were a few moments of silence as Mike stared at the white wall in shock: he had not noticed the sudden bank that had appeared from nowhere, and presumed the snow fall was fresh if they were in such a populated area. He wondered if Elizabeth was stuck, and went to ask when there was an angry revving from within the snow. The lorry's wheels spun helplessly for about half a minute, black smoke rising from the snow, before Elizabeth finally reversed, the trailer dragging along at angle.

"What happened?" Mike exclaimed as Elizabeth's driver got out of her cab, rushing around to check her front for any damage. "We could have been killed!"

"Oh shut up!" Elizabeth fumed. "It is just a bit of snow that came out of nowhere as it was around a bend, and I suspect it must be a recent slip as there are a lot of people about." Mike was still shaky though, as everything always appeared a lot bigger to him, so the slight hill and the snow fall seemed huge.

"Your not damaged, which is good, but the bad news is that we are going to have to take the other route," Elizabeth's driver said, making the lorry groan: it was a longer route with more twists and turns, which were the last things she needed. _If we had just been on time, than maybe we could have missed this, _the lorry thought angrily. Her driver got back in the cab and set about the difficult task of trying to get her around the other way while negotiating the twisted flatbed. It led to a lot of braking, send small jolts through an already rattled Mike's frame.

"We could have died… you should have been more focussed," the red engine said with a slight sob. Elizabeth wanted to scream at him, but she managed to remain silent as her driver tried to concentrate, hating herself for knowing he was right: there is no telling what can happen when it comes to snow.

* * *

"There you are Thomas! All the trucks are ready to go now."

Thomas looked up as he slid into Knapford Harbour, having finally returned from taking the workmen up to the station. Percy had been busy shunting while he was away, and two trains of trucks were neatly arranged along the quay. The two tank engines had been at the harbour for a while as the boat that was bringing the items for their train had been delayed, forcing them to wait until it came and everything was unloaded and moved to the waiting trucks. When everything was ready, Percy had been left to do all the shunting on his own when Thomas was called to take the workers as they were now at least an hour behind schedule, and Elizabeth was due to meet them at Ffarqhuar. The green engine had pulled it off though, and the trains were both waiting to leave.

"Give me a minute, I need to shunt this," Thomas called out as he was switched towards a siding, a worker moving forwards to uncouple the brake van as soon as Thomas had stopped. Percy was in a bubbly mood, pleased with himself for completing the work on time and ready to make the journey back to Ffarqhuar. It was cold with little light, so Percy was glad to have his friend along with him.

"Get a move on, we don't have all night!" The dock manager yelled. "We're all stuck here waiting for this train to move, and no one wants to be frozen in!" Percy frowned as he looked across at all the shivering, unhappy faces around him: none of the men seemed particularly happy about having to stay late on such a cold night, but Percy thought that they could at least find a little bit of happiness. It was the holiday season, after all, and though there was only a bit of lighting and tinsel around the main building, the green and red engine (Christmas colours, as his crew always joked) thought that the men could find something happy in that.

"I'm moving, I'm moving!" Thomas huffed as he was switched across the lines and reversed down onto his train. Percy, who was already coupled on the next track, could not help but notice that his friend seemed a less happy than he had been when he had left. Thomas remained quiet as he was coupled to his train, and did not say a word as the guard's whistle blew and he moved off first. Percy watched him go, wondering if something had gone wrong, and vowed to find out what it was.

Percy did not catch up with Thomas though until they both stopped at Dryaw Station, the airfield long having gone quiet for the night and feeling eerie with the blanket of snow sitting silently around them. Thomas was taking on water, and Percy's crew decided to stop as well to make sure the line ahead was clear as well. It took a simple glance to see Thomas was still lost in thought, and Percy's worry grew.

"Thomas?" He asked timidly.

"Hmmm?" Thomas asked, glancing over as if he had only just noticed his friend had pulled up alongside.

"Is something wrong?" Percy asked. "It's just… it's just that… you seem a bit… unhappy…" Percy was not sure how to word things, and Thomas' blank expression only made him worried more. "You seemed happy before you left, and then you did go, and now your back, and its just…" Thomas sighed, and Percy fell silent, wondering what his friend was about to say.

"Do you know what the other engines think of us?" He asked. Percy had not expected this and fell silent in shock, and Thomas carried on. "They all think we're silly, immature little engines, even though I am older than all of them! Henry just mocked me about all of the accidents we've had on our line, and –"

"Henry?! Why would he say that?" Percy asked in shock, but fell silent when he realised he had interrupted.

"– and he basically called us stupid!" Thomas finished. "I am not in a mood to discuss it, but I cannot believe that they still think we are dumb little engines!"

"Thomas, you shouldn't let it get to you, he was just –"

"You've done plenty of idiotic things over the years!" Thomas snapped, and Percy gasped. "Playing that joke on me, always saying dumb things, getting words mixed up and asking hundreds of questions! You're probably the reason why Henry and the others are saying those things!" Percy was stunned, and he stared sadly down at his snow covered buffers, shocked and hurt by what his friend had said. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy watched as the hosepipe was moved away, and half a minute later Thomas let sounded his whistle. He reversed, points switched, and he set off again without another word. Percy watched him as his train disappeared up the line and into the dark snow, unable to comprehend what Thomas had just said, feeling his Christmas spirit rapidly fade away…

_I thought we were friends…_

**Shocked over Thomas' outburst? Is he really blaming Percy, or is there something else going on? And how exactly will these plots all come together... Wait and see!**


	6. Blue Feelings

**Chapter Five: Blue Feelings**

Within only a few minutes, two blue steam engines arrived at Vicarstown Station.

Edward arrived first from the east, slinking slowly into the usually overflowing station, and was taken aback by how quiet it was. Only a few haggled looking passengers and tired station workers remained on the cold, empty platforms, with more huddled away inside the warmth of ticket offices, gift shops and the café. In the silence, every noise Edward made seemed to be magnified by the giant roof, and all eyes turned towards him, some people looking hopeful as if their train had arrived, but they quickly went back to their own thoughts, staring towards Sodor, waiting for their train.

_It is the end of the day, I guess, _Edward thought as he came to a stop, Marco pulling up alongside. _I think Gordon is the last train of the day… but still, it is always very odd whenever there is an empty station. _It felt as though the snow was keeping everyone away, bringing the Island slowly to a stand still, and it only made Edward worried for what could await him outside of the station.

He had made moved slowly across the bridge, wanting to put Marco into his place for his rudeness, whether it had been intentional or not. Edward regretted it though as soon as the wind began to slam into him, making his entire frame rattle and shake, an uncomfortable experience prolonged by his lack of speed. The snow had covered the tracks for the whole journey, going undisturbed as there were no other engines about, and Edward wondered if he would even make it to Crovan's Gate before he became caught in a drift that he would not be able to push aside.

"Are your stations always this empty?" Marco remarked loudly, staring around. "It isn't a very nice station though, is it, quite old and dirty like you… are all your stations like this?"

"This is one of our busier stations, but it is a bit quiet at the moment due to the time and the weather," Edward said, trying not to get angry, though he had expected it to be busier during the holiday season. He watched his driver rush off to talk to the stationmaster and explain their delay, and wished he would hurry up so Edward could distance himself from Marco once again. "And no, only two of our stations are this big. The other one is Tidmouth on the other side of the Island, though Vicarstown is bigger due to its access to your railway, the rest are only about two platforms." Marco pretended to look interested, but Edward could see his eyes darting around the station, a frown appearing on his face, clearly dissatisfied with his journey. A loud whistle sounded in the distance, and for once in his life, Edward felt glad to hear the sound of Gordon's whistle.

The Express Engine arrived from the west, moving quickly but slowing down as he approached the platform. Gordon had meant to have gone slowly, but when they saw no sign of Edward and instead saw more snow falling and gathering around the lines, his crew decided it would best to get the passengers to the station quickly and safely, and they had gathered speed and ploughed through the snow that had gathered. Gordon had cheered himself up doing this, feeling strong and powerful as the building drifts were sent flying. It was fun and helped to distract him from the threat the weather posed, though Gordon was unlikely to admit his enjoyment at such tank engine-like behaviour.

He was glad for the shelter Vicarstown provided, and slid proudly into the silent station. Gordon too noticed it was strangely silent, with only a few people scattered across the platforms, many moving forwards as his train approached. It wasn't until Gordon had stopped though and the continuous noise of coach doors banging open had subsided that he noticed Edward on the other side of the platform… and the engine next to him.

"Hello there Edward!" Gordon boomed out, though he wanted purely to attract the visiting engines attention, his curiosity and worry creeping back to him now that his journey had stopped for the moment.

"Hello Gordon, safe trip?" Edward asked.

"Snow is nothing to such a strong engine like me!" Gordon replied. "My snowplough was able to push it all aside, so the path is clear for you and your friend." Edward laughed, glad for some pompous behaviour that he could properly deal with.

"Thank you Gordon, that's very kind of you," the old engine said, and wondered when Gordon would ask about Marco, the diesel-electric engine seemed uninterested in the presence of another steam engine.

"Why on Earth are you so late though?" Gordon asked as the last of his passengers moved away. "I thought you were due a half hour ago, I had to wait at Crovan's Gate thinking you had had an accident!" Edward struggled not to glare at Marco, and instead wheeshed a small amount of steam that floated ghostly across the platforms.

"Sorry about that, Marco here was late in arriving," he explained with a touch of bitterness that peeked Gordon's curiosity. "Marco," Edward said, getting the multiple units attention, "this is Gordon, one of the Main Line engines on our railway. Gordon, this is Marco, a tilting diesel-electric engine that is here to put on a display for the Electric Branch Line."

"Hello there Marco, how do you do?" Gordon asked, fearing what the engine might say to him.

"This station smells strange… why is that?" Marco asked, barely even looking at Gordon, and the big blue engine's face fell. "Can you smell that? It smells like… something got burnt, perhaps?"

"Maybe it's the fact that Gordon and I run on burnt coal?" Edward suggested. "Though coal smells a lot better than fuel…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Edward said, and Marco believed him, going back to examining every inch of the station that he could see. Gordon nearly smirked, but saw the glare on Edward's face and kept his face blank. He looked at the yellow, red and silver engine, wondering exactly how he tilted, what secret contraption was built into his streamlined frame, the engine looking remarkably un-spectacular. Marco did not strike him as bright or interesting, but Gordon was still keen to make an impression and show off, never being able to control himself.

"Marco, have you ever met the Flying Scotsman?" Gordon asked, as he noticed a station manager approaching his cab. "Quite a famous steam engine that just so happens to be a cousin of mine!"

"Flying Scotsman…," Marco said, looking confused as he thought the name over. "Oh right, that really old engine! Wow, that must make you really old as well! You don't look it though… well, actually, I guess all of you steam engines do look pretty old, compared to me…" Gordon's eye bulged out of his face at this, and he was left speechless, shocked by the casual rudeness and insolence of this engine. He wanted to say something, but Marco had already forgotten about it, looking around at a different area of the station. Gordon looked at Edward and saw the old engine was staring at him with a knowing look, understanding completely what Gordon was thinking.

"Seriously?" Gordon said stunned, his voice barely a whisper but it carried in the silent station.

"Quite," Edward replied with a roll of his eyes. Gordon was flabbergasted, barely noticing the station master now talking to his driver. The insult was so blatant and shocking, even though the big engine had expected something like this, and though Gordon tried not to show it, the words hurt. _Maybe my fears were right after all… _

"Gordon, we are heading back now," his driver said, appearing near his buffers. "We are shunting the coaches in the yard, using the turntable and then we are going to go back, but leading Edward and Marco."

"Why?" Gordon asked, confused.

"There are fears that the snow is getting to heavy out on the main line, so the stationmaster has asked us to go in front of Edward and clear the track as he has no snowplough," his driver answered. "We only have to go with them up to Crovan's Gate and then we go back to Tidmouth Sheds as quickly as possible. There are just delays up and down the line, there is some communications problem that is preventing some stations from calling each other, so we have to make sure everyone and everything is safe and no one gets trapped."

"Alright then," Gordon said gloomily, though he did not want to spend any more time with Marco. Reluctantly, Gordon chugged forwards and out of the station, leaving his coaches in a siding where they would be shunted by Arianna at some point. The turn table moved slowly, a cold wind battering Gordon as he remained still, silent, thinking, watching the dark clouds above as the snow fell lifelessly to the yard around him.

_I knew Marco would make me feel old, but not this old… _Gordon thought as he chugged back to the station, eyeing the last of Marco's coaches that remained out in the cold. _Why was he even brought here if not to replace us all…_ He looked at Edward as he passed by, and the look on his old friend's face matched his own. Gordon sighed as he was switched onto their line, snow drifting down onto his snowplough, a sign of what to expect ahead as this constant storm raged on. Edward had seen the look in Gordon's eyes, and knew the big engine was offended, even if he would never admit it. He glanced across at Marco, who seemed oblivious to the fact they were about to leave, and wondered just who else this special new engine would insult before his visit was over.

A whistle sounded as a sign for Gordon to go, and both blue engines began to leave the station, both of them fearful for the journey ahead but unable to shake the thoughts Marco had put in their minds as they set off on the last, freezing leg of their journeys.

**There may be some differences to how Vicarstown Station is meant to be in the books. I had always thought the big station was on Sodor, though I read something that confused me about its exact location, so I am sticking with my gut feeling. **


	7. Electricity in the Air

**Chapter Six: Electricity in the Air**

All of the Island of Sodor was falling asleep, the stress and tiredness that the holiday season brought sending many adults to bed as early as children. While some celebrated away into the early hours of the morning, they went undetected in the quiet, postcard-perfect villages, with the island quickly becoming as quiet as the snow.

The only noises that cut through the peace and quiet were the sounds of two steam engines furiously racing down their lines. The sounds of their wheels churning, trucks clanging and whistles screeching echoed for miles in the wintery silence.

Percy was trying his best to catch up to Thomas, even though his friend's outburst was still playing over and over again in his mind. The green engine was hurt and insulted, but he was not going to let Thomas simply race off down the line and escape from the mean things he had said.

"Thomas, slow down!" Percy shouted out, though the blue tank engine was further ahead and making so much noise it was likely he could not hear him. "Slow down, you are being dangerous!" His pistons were getting sore from his fast shunting of all the trucks, and Percy wanted nothing more than to roll into the sheds and fall asleep until Christmas Day, but he had to find out what was wrong with Thomas first an forced himself to carry on.

The two engines sailed down the line nearly side-by-side, cutting through the once green fields that were now buried by snow. They nearly looked the same, with similar trucks rattling behind them, giggling with joy at the speeds they were going at, while murky grey smoke rose above them in twin columns, streaming behind as like murky kites caught by the wind. A tremendous amount of noise was coming from the train, and Percy would not be surprised if they woke every town and village that they passed by.

"Faster, faster, beat the blue one, FASTER!" One of his lead trucks screamed into the night, and a loud, screechy chorus of laughter echoed from behind.

"Be quiet, this is not a race!" Percy said in a scolding tone, and he angrily bashed the trucks, turning his hurt with Thomas into violence. The trucks squawked in protest, but Percy ignored them as he followed Thomas into the Hackenbeck Tunnel, the lamps casting ghostly shadows against the brick walls as the combined sounds of their trains made for an eerie echo.

_There must be a reason why Thomas said those things, _Percy thought. _Maybe he is upset with Henry, or maybe another engine said something too him… but he can't actually think those things, he can't, he can't! _Percy was getting tired, but he forced himself to carry on as the two engines roared out of the tunnel, and they quickly sped towards Ffarqhuar Station and the surrounding yard. The green engine was relieved, as they had now reached the end of their journey, and he could finally confront Thomas about what he had said.

The yard was still and quiet, with the only signs of life coming from the station itself, as squares of yellow light shone through the frosted windows, glowing against the snow. It seemed more Christmassy than the rest of the branch line, as the lines of covered trucks and coaches looking as though someone had delicately frosted them with the snow, while twinkling fairy lights were draped across the station, the engine sheds and the coach sheds, giving a continuously, flashing rainbow display that made the yard shine as bright as night. Carol music was emitting from somewhere in the distance, likely in the village, and Percy managed a smile as he glided to a stop alongside Thomas, thinking of Christmas and letting his happiness fill him with the courage he needed.

"Why did you say those things Thomas?" He asked, staring at his friend. "It was really mean, and it came out of nowhere!"

"What makes you think that?" Thomas retorted. "I could have had those feelings for years and just never felt like telling you until now!" But Percy could tell that there was something behind his use of 'could have', and it only made him more worried and curious.

"Come on Thomas!" The green engine huffed. "I am not as stupid as everyone seems to think!" _Including you, apparently… _"I can tell when someone is lying to me… well, at least I can tell when you are, as I thought we were friends! I know something else is bothering you, and –"

"The only thing bothering me right now is you!" Thomas fumed, and he angrily bumped his trucks, making the workers who had come to attend his train leap backwards in fright. "And I _did_ mean those things, okay Percy? Just… just accept it, alright?! You're embarrassing the branch line with all your stupidity and your dumb actions."

"What are you talking about; I have not had an accident for years!" Percy said angrily, and he forgot to feel sorry for his supposed friend, instead getting annoyed. "You cannot get angry with me now for things I did years and years ago, and it is not as if you're so perfect either!" Thomas' eyes bulged at this, and Percy smirked triumphantly, feeling pleased with himself for getting one back at the tank engine.

"What would you know…," Thomas mumbled, and he looked in the opposite direction. Percy glared at him before looking in the other direction, and did his best to ignore Thomas, feeling more anger than concern now, as it seemed Thomas did have some sort of issue all of a sudden. They remained in silence for a few minutes, letting the snow gathered on their snowploughs and around their wheels and the workers dealt with their trucks. Percy was still suspicious about what had brought Thomas' anger on, but he was not going to deal with his so-called friend right now, not when he was being so difficult.

"What are you two fighting about now?" Thomas' driver asked as he stood before the two of them, smirking to himself. Both engines shot him a look that wiped the smile off his face, though a twinkle lingered in his eyes. "Alright then… Thomas, the foreman has asked us to take some trucks urgently towards Ulfstead before you go to the sheds, as it has items necessary for the extension."

"Can't someone else do it in the morning?" Thomas grumbled. "Give it to Daisy, she can start faster than us!"

"No Thomas, they need it delivered now!" His driver said. "There is no time to mess around; we have to take it soon as it is getting late." Thomas looked like he wanted to argue more, but instead he angrily rammed his trucks again and remained silent, giving Percy a dirty look as if it was all his fault. Percy struggled to ignore him as Thomas' crew got back onboard, and a minute later he was reversing out of the siding and shunting his uncoupled trucks away. He did not exchange another word, and Percy watched angrily as his friend steamed furiously away, disappearing down the new line that went towards Ulfstead.

_Good riddance! _Percy thought, watching as the last truck disappeared into the night. He suddenly felt empty and alone though, surrounded by very little but snow, a few laughing trucks and the workers who were moving back towards the station. It would be quiet when he got back to the shed, and Percy suddenly felt bad that he had not tried better to get through to him.

"DAMNIT!" Someone yelled from behind, and Percy glanced over as a couple of workers ran towards his cab, and he wondered what was wrong.

"We forgot to uncouple the trucks that had the supplies for Elizabeth!" A different voice shouted at Percy's crew. "She needs to pick those supplies up tonight! Thomas kept bumping his train so we had to leave it to avoid getting killed."

"Shouldn't she be here by now?" Percy's fireman replied. "She was due before us."

"There have been a bunch of delays all over the Island, it's the bloody snow!" A third voice said. "Do you think you would be able to go after Thomas and get that truck back? There is a high risk of there being snow drifts on that line, so he will be going slowly."

"We could manage that," Percy's driver said, "though I am not sure how Percy is –"

"I feel fine, let's go!" Percy replied instantly. Admittedly, he was tired and sore, as his rush to catch up with Thomas and shunting the trucks had left him exhausted, with aching wheels and weary side rods. However, there would only be more issues caused if Elizabeth did not get her delivery, and Percy knew that if Thomas was blamed, it would only cause more strife and increase his sudden anger.

_He may have insulted me and been very rude, _Percy thought as he left his trucks behind and set off down the line after Thomas, _but I cannot let that stop me now. He is still my friend, I hope, and I have to stop him before this situation gets any worse!_

* * *

All was quiet on the Main Line. Henry sat shimmering at Killdane Station, nearly alone in the silent, snowing world. He wondered how far James was ahead of him now, as he had not seen the red engine since he had shot ahead and seemingly disappeared into the night. This thought both distracted and irritated Henry, as he wanted to think of something other than being delayed for the third time that night, but could only remember James' cocky smile as he sped away before him.

Henry had been flagged down at the station, and his crew learnt that Gordon, Edward and the new engine had not been accounted for, at least not by the people at Crovan's Gate, so Henry had to wait until they had passed or they received more information to avoid any sort of collision. It made Henry furious to have to wait once more, and Henry could just imagine the fish going off by the time he actually made it to the ports, or more snow would land and bury him alive.

_At least they are trying to lessen the risk of an accident, _Henry thought, remembering the curse he was trying to avoid, though if Henry stayed here long enough, Arthur or another engine was just as likely to ram into the back of his train like Duck had. The green engine just wanted to get moving once more, deliver his train and make it back to the sheds before dawn, though it seemed highly unlikely with every moment that passed.

At least he was not fully alone though. Henry's crew had gone inside the station, and Henry could see them chatting away with the conductor and driver of The Electric Lady, his silent companion waiting to his left. She was one of the central engines of the Electric Branch, a rare electric locomotive that was one of only two engines in the world. The Lady was painted in the sleekest black paint that shone even in the dark, with a yellow front and white stripes along her roof and sides. The Electric Lady was a proud engine, and only answered if addressed by her proper name, despising the nickname of 'Badger' her counterpart had been given, one many thought suited her paint scheme better. Henry rarely spoke to the electric engines, but her crew were using the excuse of his crew being delayed to have a drink and a catch up, so Henry was stuck with her, though he may as well have been alone due to how silent she was.

"Does the snow affect your power much?" The green asked, thinking he might give conversation a shot. Henry knew she had a reputation as being the stuffiest of the electric engine, and wished that it had been Thunder and Lightning that waited, the electric multiple unit that he got along with.

"It can, sometimes. It has happened before, but not this season anyway," The Electric Lady replied quickly, and then went back to examining the world around them, an irritated air coming with her words, and Henry guessed the one thing they shared in common was an annoyance at their delay.

"Have you heard about this visiting engine?" Henry asked, trying a different topic more interesting than the weather.

"Yes," The Lady replied stiffly, and Henry was taken aback by her tone.

"I take it you aren't pleased?" The green engine asked. The Electric Lady looked across at him with a look of irritation and boredom, and Henry wished he had never asked, but was taken aback when she began to speak.

"I am not sure why our manager feels we need another new engine, but he appears determined to get one," the electric engine replied. "There are already four of us, and we are only a small line. I believe he is obsessed with whatever is new and modern, and he seems to think that our line needs to continuously show the latest in locomotives. Personally, I don't really think a tilting engine would be of any use on our line, there are very few sharp turns for a passenger engine at least, but he insists it could be the new thing!" Henry was surprised, as he and the other engines were all very interested to see this visitor and has amazing new capabilities.

"Are you not a fan of modern engines?" Henry asked, intrigued by her differing views, and Electric Lady turned and gave him a much more focussed look that seemed to say 'seriously?'

"I am basically a one in a kind, nearly outdated electric engine in an age where electric engines are all the hype," she replied with a slight smirk that seemed very uncharacteristic, and indeed made her look pained. "I have the benefit of being one of only two engines of my class, so I am a rarity, a sort of collectable, but after a while, people think their collectables should be put away rather than always be on display. I have the same feelings that you engines have every time a new steam or diesel engine is brought. At the end of the day, all us locomotives end up being are profitable collectables for men that can never have too many museum pieces with not enough space to exhibit them." Henry was taken aback by her bluntness and brutal honesty, and he was shocked at her metaphor, having never really considered this before. It was hard to think that they were all just collectable items to the Fat Controller, things to draw in the crowds and keep up tourism numbers and railway profits… surely it wasn't true!

"Do you really think you will be replaced?" The green engine asked timidly, suddenly feeling truly cold for the first time that night, as if he had just noticed it was snowing.

"I was designed to be replaced eventually, we all were," Electric Lady replied, suddenly sounding sad. "I still have a few years left in me yet, and I am certainly not going down without a fight. That is if I don't freeze here first! My pantograph is bound to be solid by now." Henry was taken by the sudden topic change, and had no idea what that was, but followed her eyesight to the metal frame that connected her body to the wires above that snaked all the way along her branch line.

"Oh yes, they are taking a while… there have been so many delays lately, it is all this darn snow," Henry replied, still thinking about her words. The Electric Lady murmured in agreement, and by default, the two engines glanced up at the clouds above where the snow was falling fast, covering the station, the platform and the rails around them.

"They always describe snow as being a winter wonderland, yet there is nothing even slightly wonderful about all of this," the Electric Lady said, a sad frown upon her face, and Henry, still surprised by her change from stuffiness to sadness, wondered if she really meant the weather. Her feelings quickly spread to him, and Henry could not shake away the suggestions of them being museum pieces…

A door slammed open, and Henry snapped out of his thoughts as his crew came out of the station, giving their farewells to the station master as they rushed through the falling snow towards their train.

"Can we go now?" Henry asked, desperately wanting to escape this chilly feeling.

"We can indeed, but we do have to be extra careful," the driver said. "Gordon, Edward and the visitor are running late, but we have a boat to get to with supplies that could risk going off if they do not get stored correctly soon, so we have been allowed to leave. If we do not pass the other engines, we have to go into a siding at Crovan's Gate though and double check everything, so we may not be moving for long."

"Anything is better than remaining still in this weather," Henry replied, though really he was unsure of what more he could say to The Electric Lady, her words leaving him more shocked than anything else in recent memory. The electric engine ignored him again as Henry waited for his fire to be built up again, though it only took a few minutes for a roaring fire to be built.

"See you some other time," Henry said awkwardly as he began to roll out of the station. "Merry Christmas!"

"You too," The Lady said in a similar tone to what she had used earlier, staring in the opposite direction. Henry roared into the night and was very pleased to be going once more, and knew that he still had a chance to make up for lost time and get the Flying Kipper delivered safely and on time. The green engine repeated this thought constantly, thinking it in tune with the pumping of his side rods and pistons, the rattling of his wheels, trying his best to drown out the ideas The Electric Lady had given him. Yet try as he must, as Henry felt the cold pressing down around, seeing nothing but the snow floating before his lamp and the rails before him, he could not help but wonder how much truth there was in her words.

**First appearance of an electric engine in my world! This story seemed like the right platform to launch Electric Lady and Adrianna, so let me know what you think of the new characters! There will hopefully be a RWS book out in the next month or two based on the Electric Branch Line, so we'll meet them all soon**


	8. On the Road

**Chapter Seven: On the Road**

Only a few minutes had passed since Percy had disappeared after Thomas, and the yard had fallen silent once more. The shunters, station staff and other yard workers lingered by the station, unsure if they should stay or leave as there were still two engines on the line and there may be needed should there is an accident. It was getting late though, with more snow piling up around their cars and the temperature dropping as the night ticked by. It was eerily quiet standing in the station doorway, watching the snow fall past the flickering lights, not a single thing disturbing the peace.

"I think at least half of us should go, we are not all needed now," the station master said after a few minutes of silence, voicing a thought many of his staff had had. "We will only need one person to shut up the station, and maybe about two workers to – hang on, what's that noise?" He paused and turned around, and the others all stepped out, listening for the same sound: it was something screeching constantly, occasionally joined by loud bangs. It was like a knife slicing through the peace and quiet, but it did not take long to work out who it was when they saw two yellow eyes racing for them.

Elizabeth was at the very end of her temper, and she was not letting anything else stop her. She had roared down the empty road, sending the rare other car they passed skidding to a halt on the side of the road to avoid a collision. The trailer containing Mike was swinging wildly, crashing into street poles, lamp posts and trees, threatening to cause the little engine even more damage. Her driver struggled to control her, and Elizabeth would put it down to the ice should he complain, even though he would hardly believe her.

_Who cares anyway! _The lorry thought angrily as she tore around the last bend and roared into the yard, having sped through the nearby village in less than two minutes. _I am already running late, that is all they are going to complain about really! No one will care how safely or dangerously I drove, or how many near misses I had travelling at this god awful time of night in this bloody weather! All my manager will think about is the fact I was late…_

Elizabeth came to a sudden stop, though she skidded several metres through the snow and skidded around, Mike's trailer wildly smashing into a concrete pole that left a nasty dent. Workers quickly rushed towards them, and Elizabeth seethed angrily in their direction, for some reason blaming them, and indeed they appeared to not be bringing any supplies with them.

"Christ Elizabeth!" Her driver exclaimed as he got out of the cab, angrily slamming the door as he did so. "You could have nearly killed us with those speeds!"

"Exactly!" Mike echoed from behind. "My trailer is already loose, you could have sent me flying with all those things I crashed into!"

_Good,_ Elizabeth thought bitterly. "I am sorry, it is really the ice and the snow, it can be difficult to grip onto the road!" She tried her best to look innocent, and after a moment her driver merely grunted and went to check on the connection to the trailer. Elizabeth smirked to herself and watched as the workers approached, several skidding on the ice as they approached her.

"What was the delay, we were expecting you at least an hour ago!" The station master exclaimed as they huddled around Elizabeth.

"Duck was delayed and then we came across a snow drift," the driver cried out as he set about properly securing the loose flatbed. "Sorry about the delay though! I will help you load the supplies in a moment." Elizabeth looked around, wondering where her next load to pick up was, getting more and more impatient by the second. There were no signs of any trucks nearby, or any engines, and she stared accusingly at the workers around her. They were exchanging shifty looks with each other, and it did not take long for Elizabeth to work things out.

"There's nothing here, is there?" She snapped furiously, and the station master sheepishly nodded. Elizabeth let out an angry shriek that echoed in the quiet yard, and she wanted to do nothing more but ram into the sheds in the corner of the yard and demand the engines deliver her train.

"The ship bringing the load was delayed, so Thomas and Percy only arrived back a few minutes ago," the station master explained to Elizabeth's driver as he came forwards. "Thomas was in a bad mood and had to take some trucks to the extension, and he accidentally took the one with your delivery as we could not get to him to uncouple it. Percy has gone after it, so the train should be back soon."

"Not soon enough!" Elizabeth hissed, but her driver raised a hand to silence her.

"We can wait a few more minutes I guess," he said, and Elizabeth glared at him, completely dissatisfied with this result. However, no one seemed to care for her opinion, and half of the workers left in order to go home, leaving only a few station staff and the men needed to unload the truck.

"Looks like you'll just have to pick up the pace when we get back on the road!" Mike said with a smirk from the flatbed, and Elizabeth made a note to bump him when they were moving once more. She stared down towards the newly built extension, waiting for Percy or Thomas to reappear, but she knew that if they were even close, she would be able to see the smoke or hear them from a mile away in quiet like this.

"They've probably crashed," Mike said. "These big engines always seem to do that."

"True enough," Elizabeth mumbled, angrily glaring at the lines ahead. She could feel the time ticking on, and knew that the more she waited, the later she would end up being. Elizabeth did not want to stay out in this foul weather for longer than necessary, and she was already getting cold as she sat idly doing nothing. Her driver was leaning against her cab waiting for the train as well, and Elizabeth knew there was more they could do.

"Let's go and find Thomas and Percy," the lorry said determinedly. Her driver wheeled around and stared curiously at her, as if he had suddenly realised she could talk, but Elizabeth was unfazed. "They have probably ended up crashing into something out there! There aren't any lights on that line, I have driven past it plenty of times, so who knows what they could have hit! And we'll be stuck here for hours waiting for them, freezing over in this dingy little yard with no one to help until morning, all while people all across the Island are waiting for us and the engines." Her driver looked uncertain, but he glanced at his watch and frowned.

"I doubt that it should have taken this long for Percy to catch up and swap over, and there is no sign of them anywhere," he said. "I will check with the stationmaster the times, he may be thinking the same thing." Her driver rushed away, and Elizabeth smiled triumphantly, pleased with her cunning and the fact her ordeal could soon be over.

"What are we doing?" Mike asked nervously from his flatbed. "Are we going after Thomas and Percy?"

"Hopefully."

"But I thought you said there was no lighting that way… and its getting very dark…"

"Scared, are we?" Elizabeth asked, amused.

"No! It's just… it's just that it's very snowy and icy now… what if you can't see the next snow drift?" Mike replied, trying his best to disguise the fact he was scared: he did not trust Elizabeth, not after her angry speeding through the village that had nearly killed them all. Driving onto a darker road in this weather seemed ludicrous, but Elizabeth and her driver were clouded by their desires to be done with this job.

"It'll be fine, just be quiet!" Elizabeth snapped as her driver rushed back over, stumbling slightly in the snow but still moving quickly. "I thought you wanted to be rid of me anyway, or have I started to grow on you?" She laughed as her driver appeared before her, looking both nervous and excited.

"We have been given permission to follow the lines and find out what the situation is with Thomas and Percy," he explained. "The stationmaster thinks it is suspicious that there is no sign of them yet when Percy should have caught up, so we are allowed to go ahead and hopefully we will find them before they arrive back here."

_That would be irritating, _Elizabeth thought, but did not let it cloud her happiness: her job could soon be over, and within an hour or so she could be back to her yard and finally get the rest she had been waiting for. Her driver got in and started her up, and within a few seconds she was in reverse and turning around, ready to set out once more, hopefully for the last time that night.

"Please be careful," Mike whispered, too afraid to say it any louder, and he doubted Elizabeth heard him as she quickly roared out of the car park and back onto the main road. The flatbed was more secure now, which did a little to reassure Mike, but he could still see the giant wall of snow that Elizabeth had slammed into, and remembered how it had come out of nowhere. The little engine could just see it happening again, and Mike began to doubt if he would ever see his friends again…

* * *

Crovan's Gate was as quiet as the rest of the Island. No engines had been seen for some time, not since James had sailed through with his goods train. The Skarloey Railway had shut down operations for the evening, all the little engines tucked away from the snow and trying to get some rest after a long day of work. More engines were expected through on the Main Line, but for now, everything was still and undisturbed.

The Works was the only place still open. They were waiting for Elizabeth to arrive with Mike, though they were uncertain as to why she was late by so much. Two workers, Geoff and Steve, stood in the open doorway, artificial light shining across the frosted over yard for some distance before the darkness took over once more. The two men were keeping warm with polystyrene cups of coffee as they waited for their last delivery to arrive.

"What is taking so long?" Geoff, the more impatient of the two, mumbled irritably. "That darn lorry was due here an hour ago!"

"It's the weather, we cannot blame anyone else for that," Steve replied. He looked up at the falling snow, following it as it fell onto the spot they had cleared for Elizabeth to park. "There was probably a snow drift or something that held her up. And all the engines are being delayed as well, remember!" Geoff grunted and sipped at his coffee, glaring at the clouds as he knew it was their fault. Steve hated having to deal with him when he was in a mood like this, and tried to think of some other topic. "Got any plans for Christmas?"

"Lunch at my sisters, have to get presents for all five of her brats," Geoff replied angrily, and Steve wished he had never said anything. A slamming door echoed out through the night, and Steve looked over to the station in the distance, a flicker of orange light coming from a cigarette being lit.

"That'll be Dave," Steve said, trying to say something to break the ice. Dave was the stationmaster at Crovan's Gate and a good friend to everyone at the Works as he assisted with the clearing of sidings for incoming trains. Steve wondered what he was still doing here, but was distracted by Geoff suddenly moving past him towards the station.

"Where do you think your going?"

"I'm going to ask where our bloody lorry is!" Geoff shouted back, and he marched off through the snow. Steve knew neither of them should be disappearing from Work, even though the only reason any of them were still here was to wait for Mike to be delivered. He glanced back to make sure no one was watching, and then moved forwards to stare down the car park in case Elizabeth was here, and then took off after Geoff.

"Hold up!" He cried. _Angry idiot! _Steve thought bitterly, resisting the urge to shout this out. It was dangerous running across such frozen ground, and Steve nearly fell over twice, having to balance himself on a parked car both times to prevent a face plant. However, he did not want Geoff to do anything stupid when he was worked up like this, and knew it was the right thing to snap some sense into him.

Steve failed to catch up though until Geoff had rushed towards the station, and he breathlessly stumbled up the ramp after his co-worker as he approached Dave. The station master was startled to see them there, and in fact nearly dropped his cigarette in surprise.

"Hello, what are you two doing here?" He said with wide eyes, and only then did Geoff pause and turn to see his friend, which was probably the only thing that made him stop and think.

"Hey Dave," Steve said, trying to control his breathing. "Geoff and I were just wondering if you knew what was up with all these delays. We were supposed to see Elizabeth with Mike an hour or two ago."

"Sorry about that boys," Dave replied, dropping his cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his heel."Some shunter didn't do his job right with a train that ended up delaying Elizabeth, I believe. I have no idea where she is though, but I know that that delay has had a lot of effects for the Main Line. Henry was meant to have come through already, same with Gordon, Edward and that visitor, but they are all being delayed, some of them we don't know where they are, communications are down! And then –"

"I don't care about any of that!" Geoff snapped, surprising Dave. "I am not waiting another bloody hour for this lorry to arrive! I have better things to do then work overtime for a late lorry!" He angrily turned and stormed past Steve, leaving a stunned Dave behind, his foot frozen in its crushing of the cigarette.

"What is his problem?" The stationmaster asked as a phone began to ring through from within the station.

"I'll go find out," Steve said, and Dave nodded before rushing back in to answer it. Steve groaned, having barely got his breath back, and he sprinted off after Geoff, who was already far ahead, moving across the tracks. They could both be killed if a train came in here, and Steve was tempted to leave Geoff to his outburst, as he got them from time to time when they were held up with nothing else to do, but he knew it was not safe.

"Geoff, come back!" Steve shouted, and sighed as he watched Geoff angrily kick a lever to the side of the rails that controlled a set of points. "Be careful, you could hurt yourself!" A loud groan followed this, and Steve hurried irritably forwards as Geoff began to hop on one leg, clutching his injured foot.

"This thing is so hard!" He moaned as he saw his friend approaching.

"Funny that," Steve said with a sigh as he hooked an arm around Geoff and turned him back towards the Works. "Come on, let's get inside and put some ice on that. And if Elizabeth has not shown up soon and we don't hear anything from her driver, I am sure the boss will let us go." Geoff merely moaned at his injured foot, and as Steve helped him back, thinking irritably about how stupid and rash his friend could be, hoping he would learn to control his anger one day, he could not help but wonder when their long day and this troublesome weather would finally come to an end.

In his thoughts, Steve failed to pay proper attention to the lever. He did not notice that it had shifted position, and therefore had made the tracks move slightly. If he had noticed this, than he would have noticed the points were no longer aligned properly with either track, simply resting in the middle and pointing towards nothing…


	9. Lost in Snow

**Chapter Eight: Lost in Snow**

The weather was showing no sign of stopping, and Gordon wondered if the Island would be buried again by morning… if he even made it through the rest of the night.

The big blue engine was going as fast and as safely as possible, desperate to get home and be done with his long night. Edward was moving behind him, and Gordon had to control his speed so that he would not leave Edward behind. Marco was travelling behind Edward but on the line next to them, as his driver seemed to have trouble keeping him under speeds that were not going to cause a three-engine pile up. It was dangerous enough having Gordon and Edward on the same line, but both engines were moving slowly due to the weather and the snow covering the line, and the two blue engines were on the look out for anything that could cause any more accidents.

All around them they could only see snow. Gordon's lamp was lighting up the way ahead, and snow was spread across every line. His plough could easily push it all aside, but Gordon knew that there was always a chance that he would not be so lucky. This was the sort of weather where the tracks would completely disappear, shed doors would become buried and walls of snow was slide across the tracks and endanger all those that passed. The big engine was half expecting to come across a large snow drift before they reached Crovan's Gate, but they had passed the Norramby Branch Line now, and knew it was only a short while now until they made it to the Works Station.

_Once I have made it there and we can leave Marco behind, I can finally go home, _Gordon thought as he chuffed proudly around a bend, and instantly wondered if Marco would be titling. He tried to look behind, but could only see the blinding white of his head lights. It was disappointing, as Gordon had only wanted to meet this visitor in order to see his new abilities, and had ended up with only having insults thrown his way.

_Old – BAH! I am not old… at least not as old as Thomas and Edward. It may seem that way to such a new fangled piece of nonsense like him, but I have experience, I know this line better than any other engine! I still have a few good years left in me! _Gordon tried to reassure himself of these things, but as soon as the positive thoughts crossed his mind, he remembered the fact Pip and Emma were now taking the Express, and how new, flashy engines were being brought in.

"Your quiet," Edward called out from behind him. His voice seemed barely above a whisper, nearly lost in the wind that howled around them, making the snow swirl around them.

"Just lost in thought," Gordon replied in the same sombre tones. He sighed, letting it be carried off by the wind, and briefly shut his eyes, imaging a warmer, sunnier day many years ago, him racing down the lines with a long line of coaches rattling behind, the wind seeming to part as he roared along the railway with smoke billowing into the air… "Do you ever feel old, Edward?"

"Constantly," the blue engine replied instantly, and the two friends laughed. "Tonight, more so than ever," Edward added, casting a glancing look back at Marco, who was straggling a few metres behind out of ear shot. "How about you?"

"There have only been a few times where I have really felt old," Gordon replied. "Most of them have to do with Pip and Emma, but tonight, I too have felt the sting of the words from the modern age." Both engines glanced back at Marco, who seemed oblivious to the fact he was even still travelling with them, and they both felt pangs of irritation.

"Try not to let it get to you," Edward said, even though he could think of little else than Marco's ignorant rudeness. "You are far from being old Gordon; yes, you may be nearing one hundred, but at least you are still capable of going such long distances with ease. I can barely manage going up and down my branch line more than a few times a day, I could never manage doing that on the Main Line! Be glad that you still have your strength and speed."

"Oh really? If I am still strong and fast, why did the Fat Controller take the Express away from me?" Gordon asked, trying to control his emotions.

"Pip and Emma are able to go without stopping and transferring over straight to London, it was a matter of time that you could not manage," Edward said. "There are no water towers or coal hoppers on the Other Railway, you would have to have an extra tender like the Flying Scotsman!"

"An engine that has apparently been forgotten!" Gordon scoffed, and Edward quickly remembered what Marco had said. The two engines fell silent as they dwelled over this, thinking of how the heroes of their age were now disappearing into obscurity. They carried on for a minute or two in silence, the only noise being the wind, their movements and the crunch of the snow as Gordon pushed it aside.

"Doesn't even remember him," the big engine grunted huffily. "What sort of engines are they making these days if they don't even think about their predecessors that got them to where they currently are? That metal snake behind you wouldn't be alive if we hadn't been built first! He should be grateful!" Edward had to agree on this point, and glanced back again at the oblivious diesel behind them.

"They may be flashier, but they certainly aren't smarter," he muttered, but Gordon managed to hear him and let out a great booming laugh.

"A big silver idiot that is supposed to revolutionise us all!" He chuckled. "I always thought something smarter would replace me when it came time to go."

"You aren't going to be replaced!" Edward said, saying it loudly to comfort himself as well as Gordon. "He is here for Peel Godred, not for us!"

"How long until the Fat Controller decides he wants one for himself?" Gordon replied, and Edward fell silent, having thought of this idea himself a few times. It seemed unlikely that any of them would ever be replaced, not after being on the line for so many years and with so many new steam engines being brought over the past few years in preparation for the extension and redevelopment. Yet there was always a possibility that it could happen, and the engines could never avoid it.

Edward and Gordon both snapped out of their thoughts as Marco suddenly appeared beside them, moving nearly silently within the howling wind. They wondered if he had heard what they had said, but Marco made no mention of it and looked confused rather than angry.

"How far away are we from this Crovan's Gate?" The visitor asked, and Edward noted his windows were down so his driver could hear.

"Not very far, only a few minutes I imagine," Gordon replied, wondering why he was asking.

"Oh good, I am getting bored waiting back there, this journey is really dragging on, isn't it?" Marco said in his clipped, posh voice. "I am going to go on ahead if it is not too far!"

"You really shouldn't," Gordon said severely. "With this weather, you don't know what will be waiting for you, and the yard could have lost power or something and be shrouded in darkness."

"That's why I have my own lights silly!" Marco scoffed, and he suddenly gathered speed. Gordon cried out and sounded his whistle, the loud 'peep' eerie due to the howling wind, sounding like a ghost emerging from the snow, yet it did nothing to stop Marco, and within seconds he was gone.

"Fool!" Gordon shouted. "It's a snowstorm and he is racing off through unfamiliar territory! What if Henry or James is still on the line, there could be a crash!"

"We'll just have to try and catch up to him," his driver shouted back, and Gordon began to gather speed, sending snow flying as he began his chase. Edward was forced to move faster as well, yet he was already tired from his long journey, and the blue engine wondered if he would make it back to Wellsworth as he ploughed through the snowy line, the storm seeming to get stronger, the night appearing darker with every second that passed.

* * *

The Ulfstead Extension was the main focus of Thomas' Branch Line. It was going to open the small town up to railways for the first time, with a new station being built within the centre of the town and a long line connecting it with Ffarqhuar. The line snaked through a similar landscape to the rest of the branch line, with wide, open farms and small cottages dotted all over the place, as the route area was largely unpopulated. It was only a few metres away from the road, and as it reached the town, it passed over a river and by an elevated forest and castle that would help form part of the new line's attraction.

Currently, the extension only went up to the river as the weather was making it difficult to build the bridge. The fence separating road and rail stopped a mile before this point as well, and there were no street lamps here, casting the entire line in darkness and making it extremely dangerous.

However, Thomas did not care about the danger.

He roared down the snow covered line, sending a thick column of smoke into the snow filled sky, trying to keep his eyes open despite the frozen flakes always getting in. His lamp showed nothing but snow, no distinction between the fields and the road, and Thomas knew that he should not be going this fast on an unfinished track over a river, but he could only think about what Henry had said to him, and the insults he had thrown Percy's way.

_I am not the one that has stupid accidents! _Thomas told himself as he roared down the snowy track, snowplough tearing through the blockage. _Henry is the one who got locked in a tunnel and pushed by an elephant! Or what about Gordon and his whistle or James and the tar wagons, they are all sillier than the things my accidents!_

_And Percy! _But as his friend crossed his mind again, Thomas paused in his thoughts, his anger faltering for a moment as a feeling of guilt came across had dawned to him as he had thrown his insults at Percy that they were unfounded and unnecessary, and Thomas knew he was just venting his anger, but at the same time it had also felt right. Percy had had just as many if not more embarrassing accidents over the years as Thomas had, yet Henry had specifically picked out the blue tank engine.

_Of course, I had been there, not Percy, and I could have goaded him on… _Thomas thought, and his guilt began to grow. He was tired and sore, having spent all day taking Annie and Clarabel up and down the line, and then waiting for a delivery that had been late. Henry's jibe had simply increased Thomas' weariness and stress, and Percy's bothering had been the last straw. If it had not been him, it could have easily been anyone else, but Thomas would not have felt this horrible about it.

_I shouldn't have said those things! _He thought, beginning to feel like a really horrible engine. _Oh god, what is Percy going to think! He is such a big fan of the holidays, this could easily ruin it for him! I didn't mean any of it, I have to apologize when I see him next… I hope he understands…_

This thought instantly left Thomas' mind as he crashed through something solid.

The unfinished line had basically been abandoned a few days earlier due to the sudden down pour of weather making laying any more tracks very dangerous. Construction equipment lay scattered everywhere, and the line opened up onto nothingness. The project manager had ordered a collapsible set of buffers to place at the end of the track to prevent any trains going into the river, along with a snow clearing machine that would be used in the morning to help pack up all the equipment that had been left behind. But as they had to be ordered in from England, fluorescent signs had been put up instead as a warning and a simple orange plastic fence across the tracks.

Thomas should have been looking out for this, but his mind had wandered elsewhere, and the thick flurry of snow had ended up knocking it all over. His crew could not properly see the way ahead of Thomas despite his light, and they had relied upon their engine for a warning.

Instead, the first sign they got was Thomas smashing into the barrier.

"What the –" Thomas cried as the fence was crushed by his much heavier weight, falling beneath his wheels and breaking in seconds. Something strange cracked, but Thomas became too distracted as his wheels left the rail, suddenly sinking through soft snow yet still moving forwards.

_I was going too fast! _Thomas thought, too shocked to think of anything else. He felt his driver apply the brakes to try something to stop, but Thomas bounced along the uneven ground with nothing ahead except the river ahead. A light feeling came around his buffers as if a weight had been removed, and Thomas watched in shock to see his snowplough disappearing beneath his wheels. An unimaginable pain came through, and Thomas yelled out as he rolled over the angled object and rolled onto his side. Screams from his crew echoed out of his cab, but they were quickly silenced as Thomas fell sideways into the snow, disappearing through the flakes and sliding downwards.

_I hate snowploughs, _Thomas thought bitterly, and there was silence, everything sounding quiet as he lay in the snow, the wind already beginning to bury his other side, and the blue tank engine knew that there was nothing more he could do but lay there…

**The story is coming to a close now! What will happen to Thomas now that he has crashed? And what fate awaits the four engines moving towards Crovan's Gate...**


	10. The Curse Prevails

**Chapter Nine: The Curse Prevails**

_Nearly there, _Henry told himself as he roared towards Crovan's Gate. The yellow and white lights dotted around the yard were glowing in the distance like angelic signs of hope and salvation. It was not the end yet for Henry, but once he had cleared here, there was going to be nothing else to stop him reaching Vicarstown and beyond.

Henry could tell that this run from Killdane was helping him make up for lost time. It had taken longer than it should have, as on a clear summer's evening Henry could be done in an hour, yet snowy weather always caused him to slow down. It had made Gordon's Hill a nightmare, and Henry had been afraid for a time that he would slip back down the frosty rails. The rest at Killdane seemed to have given Henry the strength to keep going again, and as soon as Gordon and Edward were accounted for, the big green engine would be able to finish his trip in record time.

_I can't wait to get back to the sheds and be done for the night,, _Henry thought, _I will probably fall asleep before I even hit the buffers! _It dawned on Henry that he could very easily be the last standard gauge engine to get to sleep that night, as Gordon and Edward would reach their sheds before him. This bothered the green engine, as he would be all alone should something happen to him. _Though never will happen… I hope_

Crovan's Gate was getting closer, with the bright lights growing in size every few seconds. Henry could not make out the station or the Works as the snow created an ever moving wall of white, and he wondered if they would be able to see him. He sounded his whistle to let them know he was near so that they were prepared, and Henry hoped for a second to hear the sounds of Gordon or Edward replying with their own whistles, letting him know that they could all pass through, but all he could hear was the howling wind and the gentle rattle of his trucks.

_I wonder where James and Arthur got to, _Henry asked himself when he got no reply, _and Thomas as well… I will have to apologize when I see him next, I really shouldn't have snapped back… _Henry felt guilty for a second, hoping it had not upset Thomas too much, but then he heard a short, quiet whistle, and lost his thoughts as he looked around to see where it was coming from. The green engine had not realised how close he had gotten to Crovan's Gate, the snow and wind playing tricks with the distance and the lights, and he could now see platforms and sidings emerging out from the night. A worker was waiting for them near a siding, wrapped up tight in a fluorescent jacket that sparkled when hit by Henry's lamp. He blew the tiny whistle again and signalled that Henry would be coming into the siding.

_No sign of the others, _Henry thought as he began to slow down, glancing around the rest of the yard and seeing snow was his only company. He tried not to get annoyed about having to wait again, as it was something that seemed unavoidable now, and Henry simply hoped that they would all show up soon.

It all happened in a second.

Henry had been distracted by his own thoughts and his guide that he had not truly been paying attention. As he rattled into the siding, he suddenly noticed two bright headlights like that of a car coming out from the darkness, moving rapidly towards him with a metallic hum that sounded throughout the night. He quickly realised it was some sort of engine, but he had never seen one like that before.

"Who the hell is that?" Henry cried out to his crew as the buffers neared. It took a few more seconds though before Henry realised how quickly the engine was coming towards him, and that the owner of the lights was on the line he had just left… but not the Kipper…

"THE TRUCKS!" Henry screamed, and he sounded his whistle frantically, knowing that his long train had still not cleared the siding. The engine was suddenly near him, illuminated by both their lights, and for a moment Henry got a glimpse of a wide, shocked and unfamiliar face racing past, then a glowing silver blur moving like a giant bullet with the same idea of destruction. Then it disappeared, and Henry braced himself for destruction, fear and shock clouding all other thoughts…

There was a crash that sounded like an explosion, and a great shudder went through Henry's train. He had no idea what exactly was happening, and Henry could only listen to frantic screams, the crunching of multiple trucks at once and the piercing sound of a loud, sharp horn. Something slapped against the back of Henry's tender, and as he slid to a stop, more objects crashed against his body. A lot of them were hard, but Henry heard soft squelching noises and felt things sliding down his body, and knew that fish had flown out of his broken trucks.

"What the hell was that?" Henry's driver shouted as the big green engine came to a complete stop a metre shy of the buffers.

"That was a multiple unit, it had to be the visitor!" The fireman replied, and Henry felt them leave his cab and listened as they ran across the snow. Henry tried to see what was going on but his vision did not extend that far, but it was obvious that, once again, the Flying Kipper had led to a crash.

He would not be making it to Vicarstown tonight.

* * *

Gordon could make out the bright beacons of the Crovan's Gate lamp posts in the distance, but there was no sign or sound of Marco, and the big engine could only wonder if he would catch up to him in time.

_If something happens, no doubt we will get blamed, _Gordon thought as he heard the reassuring sound of Edward puffing behind him, and the big engine put every last bit of strength into lessening the distance between himself and the visitor. It would be very easy for Marco to simply race through the yard and keep going down the line, and Gordon was certain that there would still be engines out there, like Henry and James who were supposed to be taking goods trains. The snow had made the Island seem darker than it really was, and with little other lights outside of the yard, danger loomed everywhere.

_Bloody Mainland engines! They think they are so bloody superior, _Gordon thought angrily as he gathered speed, unaware how much distance between himself and Edward. _I hope a lot of snow falls on Marco or he gets stuck like Daisy did that time. It would certainly put him in his place if us ancient engines had to rescue him! _Gordon smirked to himself, eyeing up Crovan's Gate as it got closer and closer, and amused himself with the idea of Marco buried in snow, knowing it was just the thing to put him in his place.

Suddenly, a whistle sounded frantically from within the yard. _That's Henry, _Gordon thought, _what is he whistling about, and where is he? _The big engine glanced around for his friend, but Henry did not sound again, hidden by the snow. But then Gordon heard a sound like an explosion, and shouts and screams echoed in the distance. A loud horn came across everything else, and Gordon began to put two and two together.

"HENRY! MARCO!" The blue engine shouted, his imagination creating horrific images in his mind, and he tried to work out if they were true. He forced himself to gather speed and raced into the yard, fearful of what had just happened and trying to work things out for himself, yet the lights only showed silhouettes that did nothing to appease Gordon.

Suddenly, Gordon veered to the right, and the big engine was startled. He switched lines again a moment later, moving across the various tracks spread out around the yard, and Gordon realised he was being diverted away from the crash.

"Wait, I need to help!" He cried out as he switched tracks again, and blew his deep whistle as a sort of warning, but no one paid any attention: everyone from the station and the Works seemed to have spilled out across the yard, running shouting across the tracks to get to the crash, the higher-ups bellowing orders for fire engines and break down cranes. Gordon wanted to help, but his driver went to apply the brakes, knowing there was nothing they could do yet.

No one had noticed the unset points.

Gordon was focussed on trying to make out the crash to his left, beginning to see broken trucks, Henry's green paint and would could be Marco lying on his side. He did not pay any attention to the tracks until he felt his front wheels lift up, and the Gordon looked back around as he found himself driving off the uneven set of points. Stunned, he sounded his whistle in shock as he bumped across the siding and ploughed towards the crowd of workers. They fled from the oncoming engine, yet Gordon was helpless as he rolled across the icy car park. All of his wheels left the tracks, and they hurt going across the tough surface. Gordon shut his eyes as he slipped through sleet and snow, dreading what would come next, but relief thankfully came a moment later as he smacked into something.

"GORDON!" Edward yelled out from behind, and Gordon opened his eyes again, staring directly at the car that had stopped him, now completely crumpled by the massive engine. He tried to see Edward, but he had rolled at an odd angle and could only see both standard and narrow gauged rails that went on towards nothing.

"Forget about me Edward, I'm fine!" Gordon shouted, still reeling in surprise. "What happened to Marco, what happened to Henry?"

* * *

Steve had just stepped outside when he realised disaster was about to strike.

The worker was getting irritable. There was very little to do except watch TV or read the paper while they waited for Elizabeth and Mike to show up, which was getting more unlikely by the second. Steve wanted to go home and have a nice, now late, dinner and prepare himself for the holiday season. He did not want to be grumpy and cynical like Geoff, his friend still in pain from kicking the lever and moaning to anyone that would listen, but Steve could not help but be frustrated by it all.

"Where are you?" He grumbled to the night, staring at the car park and wondering if Elizabeth would appear, her space right next to the rails still annoyingly vacant. Steve heard soft whistles and wondered if that would be her, but he turned around and saw it was a worker signalling for an engine to move into a siding. Steve briefly recognized Henry before sighing and turning away, wondering if there was some packet soup he could have to feed his hunger and fill in some more time as they waited for the lorry to arrive.

That was when he noticed another engine entering the yard from the other end, roaring down the track as if they were a runaway. Steve paused and stared at the engine, trying to make out who it was: the body and shape reminded him of Pip and Emma, the High Speed Engine that the Fat Controller had officially brought recently, but even in the dim light he could tell it was a different colour. He followed their path with his eyes as he wondered if it was new, but then he saw where it was heading….

"HOLY CRAP!" Steve shouted, and he watched in horror as the speeding engine slammed into Henry's train. The first trucks it hit were obliterated, and the train seemed to roll backwards from the force. The front of the speeding, unfamiliar engine bounced sideways off the tracks and seemed to roll over, dragging the rest of its body over as well like a flailing metal snake. The crash could be heard across the yard, above the howling wind that was sending snow scattering and disguising the accident. Flickers of fire seemed to appear in the distance, and Steve was as still as a statue, staring at the horrific scene… it had all happened so quickly, but there was no telling what destruction it would leave in its path.

"What's going on?" A worker yelled behind him, and Steve turned as several of his colleagues appeared, the crash quickly getting their attention. Steve looked back, still gobsmacked, wondering what on earth had caused this, and what they were supposed to do now.

"HENRY! MARCO!" A loud, booming voice cried out in the distance, and Steve snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards the noise, but he already could tell it was Gordon, the Express engine who used to stop at Crovan's Gate when he took the fast train. He was moving quickly towards the crash site, though was still a minute away from entering the yard.

_If he hits that wreck we'll have a bigger mess on our hands, _Steve thought, and he suddenly remembered a series of levers to the sides of the tracks. These were used by the Works to change the tracks when they were expecting a delivery or were testing the functions of an engine so they would not need to rely upon the station or signalmen for the jobs. Steve was not entirely familiar with them, but something had to stop Gordon from joining the crash.

Quickly he rushed along the side of the tracks, past the siding where Geoff had hurt his foot and towards the row of levers. He skidded a few times on the snow and ice, but Steve forced himself to keep going, with only a few seconds left to stop it all. He reached the levers and blindly grabbed the first two with both hands, guessing that these would operate the lines furtherest away, and pulled them towards his body. The levers resisted due to being scarcely used, and Steve feared that they may have frozen over, and sighed with relief when they moved. He thought he heard the points switch, and went and pulled the next two, hoping these would direct Gordon safely away from the site.

"Call the fire department, the hospital and the head office, NOW!" Steve's boss yelled out as he and several others ran out across the tracks, heading towards the scene to see what they could do. Steve wondered if he should go as well, looking around to see if anyone had noted his deed, his mind still shaken from witnessing the accident. A loud, deep whistle sounded, and he looked and saw Gordon rolling across the lines, and he was pleased to see his plan had succeeded. Though the big engine looked upset and was staring towards the site, and Steve felt a sense of pride, knowing he had done good. He decided to go to the site and keep up the good work, and waited for Gordon to pass before running across.

Steve eyed as several colleagues ran past the siding and its lever, and suddenly he thought of Geoff injuring his foot and how he had done so…

"Oh my god…," he gasped, and his fears came true a moment later: Gordon bounced off the rails, unable to stop himself, the points sending him towards destruction. Steve and the other workers scattered as the giant steam engine rolled towards them, skidding on snow and ice, and Steve's pride and happiness evaporated as he thought of his role in this brand new accident.

"Oh god!" Steve groaned, watching as the big engine rolled whistling through the car park, and Gordon could have gone on forever it had did not slam into a parked car. Steve thought he recognized it, and quickly realised that it was Geoff's that now had a Doncaster engine implanted in the side.

_Perfect… just perfect, _Steve thought, letting out a loud sigh as people now began to crowd around Gordon, and Edward pulled up on the next line. This day had gone from bad to worst in only a few minutes, and Steve turned and looked across at the fallen engine that had started it all, now surrounded by workers and officials trying to sort it out, and he wondered how any of this could have happened…

* * *

_This railway is so… lower class… you would think if it had been around for so long, they would at least know how to keep it tidy_

Marco frowned as he sped down the line, staring at the houses, trees and other rails that made up this railway. He had been disappointed ever since he had arrived at the dingy little station where he was greeted, by a dingy little engine no less, and Marco's thoughts on the railway got worse with every second that passed. All of his friends in London had told him about the smelly, dirty old vintage railway across the waters, though none of their warnings had prepared Marco for he had found. The strange aroma of coal lingered constantly in the air, and on the sides of the railways were ancient cottages that seemed as old as their engines, and Marco was sure that the rails were creaking and groaning beneath his wheels.

And the engines themselves! Marco had met steam engines before, as there would occasionally be some sort of enthusiasts train or an anniversary that required a vintage engine to celebrate it, but they had been very different. They spent most of their time in preservation and were well kept, always with fresh, shining paint and very little dirt. The Sodor engines worked every day, and as a result they appeared rather grimy and dirty, a perfect fit for the line but imperfect as a whole.

_Oh, why did I have to come here? _Marco thought as he rattled down the old line, noticing some lights in the distance and wondering if this was where he was supposed to stop, though the two blue engines were still behind him. _It is like I have gone back to the last century. I have to come all this way just to put on a little performance for some people I do not even care about, for a railway where the last modern engine they got was probably that Evening Star fellow!. Imagine what Martin and Louis will say when they learn I had to come to this place… _Marco hoped that his demonstration would be finished as quickly as possible, and then he could get out of here and away from this working museum before he became stuck here permanently.

Marco didn't realise his path of destruction until the last moment.

He was so oblivious to what was happening outside of his own thoughts, trying his best to ignore the railway, that Marco had no idea that he had entered Crovan's Gate. A man in a fluorescent stood at the side of the tracks, having been sent to wait for him, and was blowing a whistle and trying to get his attention, but Marco ignored him and kept going. His driver could not see him as it was so dark and snowy, even with the bright lights suddenly around them, and he wiped the window to try and see where the whistle had come from but saw nothing outside.

_Are those platforms? _Marco thought, staring around as they suddenly appeared around him. _I wonder if this is that Crovan place … _The electric-diesel engines thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud, sharp whistle, and he looked around to see a green engine was in a siding, staring at him in fear.

_What on earth is that about? _Marco thought indignantly, and looked forwards, wondering if it was a kind of warning.

It was then that he saw the trucks.

His headlights caught them at the last possible moment, and his driver quickly applied the brakes, but it was too much for the speeding engine to stop. Marco was stunned, the truck coming towards him like some terrible beast, and he could simply only shut his eyes, bracing for impact, but it was like nothing he had ever felt before.

The trucks exploded at his touch, battering him with hard wood that cracked his windows and a lot of ice and something's cold and slimy that slid down his face. Marco was disgusted, but his fear was too overpowering, blocking all other thoughts. He continued forwards for a few more seconds, more trucks collapsing as he smashed them aside, and then Marco noticed he was jumping off the rails. He must have gone over something, or the force of his crash had caught up with him, but now Marco was tilting to the side, his wheels screeching over the snow covered ground as they left the rails. Marco began to roll to the side, and there was nothing he could do as he began to flip. It had all happened so quickly, everything was a confusing blur, and the electric-diesel had no idea what to say or think…

He came to a sudden stop barely ten seconds after he had hit the first truck, and Marco slowly opened his eyes. He was now lying on his side, snow covering half of his face, with the wreckage of his crash scattered around him. Marco was cold, confused and in pain, trying to piece everything together but his mind seemed to have gone blank. Shouts were sounding above the howling wind, and Marco felt someone clambering over his side, crying out for his driver and conductor.

"What about me…," Marco mumbled into the snow, but no one seemed to hear him. They would get to him eventually though, he knew, someone always cleaned up after crashes. The tilting engine simply lay there, listening to all the sounds and feeling all of his pain, and he wondered what he had done to deserve this as the constant snow slowly began to build up around him.

****

There are still a few chapters left as we see the aftermath of all the accidents! What's going to happen next... 


	11. A Lump in the Snow

**Chapter Ten: A Lump in the Snow**

It did not take Percy long to realise something had gone horribly wrong.

The saddle tank engine stared at the never ending field of white that surrounded him. He had reached the current end of the Ulfstead extension, where the rails ended dramatically before a river as they waited for the weather to clear before the bridge could be built. A single track went this way, and it was indeed the line Thomas had disappeared down, but there was no sight of the blue engine anywhere. His blue paint would stick out even in the darkness, yet all Percy could see was white.

"Maybe he derailed further up the line and we completely sped past?" Percy's fireman asked, yelling above the wind. His crew stood within Percy's lamp, huddled against the freezing wind and using a simple torch to try and locate where Thomas was, but they had already looked around and there was no sign that the tank engine had been here.

"He can't have derailed, we would have hit whatever he had," Percy's driver replied with a shake of his head. Percy was starting to get concerned, as they all knew there was no way they could have possibly passed Thomas, meaning he must have somehow left the tracks without a single clue of an accident.

_Where are you Thomas? _Percy thought desperately, glancing around the endless winter around him. _You have to be somewhere near, where have you gone? _Percy feared that their argument and Thomas' sudden rage had played a role in this, as the blue engine had raced off very quickly in order to get away from his supposed friend, and he had not looked happy. It would have been easy for Thomas to speed down the tracks and not seen something in his way or noticed something hidden beneath the snow…

_Maybe if I had not pushed you for answers, this may not have happened, _Percy thought sadly. _If you get out of this alright, we can have a good chat and fix whatever issues there are rather than just shouting about them! _The green engine was feeling terrible about insulting Thomas, and looking back, he knew that Thomas should have been left alone to work things out himself…

A strong gust of wind blew through the empty field, sending snow scattering into Percy's eyes, nearly blinding him. He blinked it away, and noticed something much larger than snow flying through the beam of his lamp.

"What was that?" He gasped, fearing it could have been a broken part of Thomas. His shivering crew looked around and pointed their torch, and Percy could now see a broken bit of orange plastic caught up in the heavy wind.

"It looks like something from the barrier that they put up to block the end of the track," Percy's driver explained, sounding curious. "That's what Thomas was bringing out here, stuff to secure the construction equipment and the line."

"Why is it broken then?" Percy asked, glancing towards the end of the tracks that disappeared into snow.

"I am not sure. We looked over there and we couldn't see Thomas, so we thought that the barrier might have just fallen over," Percy's fireman explained. "But I am not sure about what could have broken it…" Percy stared as far forwards as he could, expecting Thomas to magically appear as if they were playing a game. There was still no sign of him, but Percy was becoming more suspicious.

"What if Thomas is buried there?" He exclaimed, and his crew turned around, intrigued. "Think about it! Thomas got buried that one time he collected the Christmas tree, and Henry did as well when he went through the snow drift –"

"That's the thing Percy, those were all snow drifts and avalanches, they didn't really plough into the snow!" His driver replied.

"But look at all the snow and wind! What if Thomas drove off the tracks and fell over, and than he became buried under all this snow? Maybe his crew got knocked unconscious and they couldn't go for help?" Percy shouted, and he blew his whistle to try and get them to listen. It echoed around the otherwise quiet valley like some ghostly noise, and his crew were shocked into silence. They exchanged looks and they glanced at the field of snow: there was no sign of Thomas or the two trucks, but Percy did have a point.

"We could spread hot coals over the snow to melt it a little bit and then have a nosey around," the fireman suggested, "as if his theory is right, they wouldn't be too far below the snow." Percy lit up with pride at the fact they had accepted his theory, and hoped that it was the right one. _We're coming Thomas, just hang in there… we'll save you! _

The crew climbed back onboard and rolled Percy forwards another metre so he was closer to the end, giving more light for them to work with, and the fireman jumped down with the spade full of burning coals. The wind was strong, and there was a chance they could have gone out, so the fireman moved quickly with the driver surrounding him as a barrier. Percy watched as they crunched through the snow, sinking slightly, and scattered the coals across a lump in the snow. The coals sank through, quickly turning the snow to water, and Percy could see something revealed in his light.

"What is it?" He yelled ecstatically as his driver bent down to examine it.

"It is a box… small, but a heavy one at that," his driver replied. "There is a picture on it… of a whistle!" He exclaimed. "This is the truck for Crovan's Gate!" Percy blew his own whistle excitedly as the fireman scattered the rest of the coals and dug his spade into the ground, trying to find more boxes, and a dull thud came across on his fifth go.

"It's the truck!" He yelled joyously as he wiped away the snow, and Percy's face lit up, unable to believe it had worked. "I can't believe we missed this!"

"Go get some more coals, I will try and scoop this all out," the driver yelled, and he went and grabbed the broken piece of the barrier to use as a makeshift spade. The fireman rushed back to Percy and grabbed more coals, and by the time he was back the driver had cleared away the snow covering the side of the truck and found more supplies that had been scatted by the crash.

_Crash… _Percy thought, and fear began to fill him once more. His delight at their discovery had disguised the fact that this was a crash site his crew were stumbling around, and it was becoming more obvious that Thomas and his train had separated as he had flown off the rails. Percy began to worry for his friend and his safety, and he followed his crew more intently as they dug and burnt away.

"Find Thomas, quickly please!" He yelled pleadingly.

"We'll do the best we can," the fireman cried as he scattered the coals across a wider area before beating at the snow to find something underneath. "But remember Percy, there is nothing we can do straight away even if we find Thomas. We can save his crew, but Thomas would be stuck here for the night." Percy was visibly shocked, and his fireman noticed as he came back for more coal. "How are we supposed to dig him out and get him back on the rails ourselves?" Percy was shaken by this, and had a terrifying image of Thomas laying buried beneath the snow for days, missing Christmas and New Year's, eventually disappearing into the never ending white…

_What we need is a true Christmas miracle! _Percy thought. _Someone needs to come to our rescue… someone kind, sweet, caring, that will help us in our time of need… a loving guardian angel!_

* * *

Elizabeth was not in a good mood.

The lorry tore down the open road, managing to avoid any more accidents as the way to Ulfstead was clear of anything to strike and no other cars at this time of night, allowing Elizabeth to travel at dangerous speeds. There was snow and ice that crunched beneath her wheels, and she would occasionally bounce over a particularly big lump, but the lorry didn't care. Elizabeth had been on the road for hours now, she was tired and cold, and wanted nothing more than to finish this journey and make it home before the weather got worse.

_I must finish this delivery, this is the reason why I am up this late after being up for hours, _Elizabeth thought aggressively. _There would be no point to all of this to just stop here and resume in the morning, I would have wasted all this time for nothing. And what would I do with the little one? _She glanced back at Mike, who was still frightened but was at least not flailing all over the place now, and the lorry briefly felt a pang of guilt, knowing that she was putting him through most of these dramas. _At least it will soon be over…_

A whistle suddenly sounded somewhere in the distance, and Elizabeth and Mike both looked up, wondering where it was coming from. The lorry's headlamps were struggling to illuminate anything with the snow constantly falling past them, so it was another minute before Elizabeth began to see a bit of green alongside her.

"Percy!" She exclaimed, and her driver quickly slammed on the brakes. Elizabeth skidded on the snow, causing her to turn and Mike's flatbed to slide off the road, but now she was able to face Percy and point her lights towards the snow before him. "Where's Thomas? I was told he had taken my trucks."

"He's had an accident," Percy said in a depressing tone, and Elizabeth was taken aback. "He must have driven off the tracks and now he is buried beneath the snow. My crew had found his trucks, including the one with your deliveries, and now they are starting to rescue him." Elizabeth was stunned silent by the news and she looked at the snowy field before her, a sloped surface leading to the frosty river below. Percy's crew were digging away, spreading hot coals by the look of it across the snow, and a blue glint shone in the light from Percy and Elizabeth. Her driver raced across to help out, and Elizabeth, Percy and Mike could only watch as they dug away using a spade and broken bits of plastic, clearing away the snow covering Thomas' side.

"Call an ambulance, his crew will need medical attention!" Percy's driver yelled as they began to remove the snow that had built up around the cab. Elizabeth and the engines could only see the men working above the cab, so it not clear how deep Thomas' crew was stuck. Elizabeth's driver moved to the side as he dialled a number on his mobile phone, making sure to avoid the snow that Percy's crew were flinging out from the cab.

"We've got them!" Percy's fireman exclaimed after a few moments.

"Here we go, come on, out you go!" Percy's driver said as he and the fireman pulled someone out from Thomas' cab, and they lowered him quickly to the ground before going back for the other crew member. Elizabeth felt helpless as there was nothing she could do except provide light and watch, though her driver did rush over, took her tarpaulin and shook off the snow before rushing back to the men.

"I called the ambulance, it's on its way now," he said. Thomas' crew were stirring and shivering, the blue on their lips visible even from a far, though not as bright as the sheen coming from their engine.

"Have you called for the breakdown crane?" Elizabeth cried out. "Thomas will need to get out of there soon as well, as well as my supplies." No one gave her answer though as they tended to the needs of the potentially hypothermic railway crew and Elizabeth quickly got both impatient and worried, snow already been blown back across Thomas.

"They are not going to send for anyone," Percy explained mournfully. While he was glad that Thomas' crew had been rescued, his driver had gone into more detail about why Thomas could not be rescued, and the saddle tank could not help but fear for his buried friend. "It would be too difficult to get a crane here at this time of night and in this weather, especially with the wind blowing the snow across the scene and making it risky to lift an engine up. Even if I went back to get a crane, it would take too long, and my crew cannot stay awake much longer – regulations and that…" Percy trialled off, feeling sad and ashamed as he stared at his trapped friend, unable to do anything to help him due to all the rules and laws that made up the railway. Elizabeth was shocked and she stared down at her delivery that was scatted across the snow: she was had finally made it, she had come so close to completing this part of her journey, but now the lorry had to leave it all behind. All her speeding, all the danger she had put Mike in… it had all been for nothing. Normally, Elizabeth would have felt annoyed, but right now she just felt sad. She had wanted to prove herself, and in the end she had failed…

"What if we rescued him?" Mike said suddenly, and Elizabeth and Percy glanced towards the little red engine. "I am not sure how though… maybe there are ropes or something that could be used? But if you two could lift him up out of the snow then at least he would not be trapped under the snow all night?" Elizabeth was surprised by Mike's idea, as she had always heard of him being the smug, rash one that was always getting into trouble, a fan of being centre of attention. She was fairly impressed, and could actually see his idea working.

"What brought this up?" The lorry asked, and Mike's face blushed, standing out even in the snowy darkness.

"It just seems a bit unfair that everyone won't be able to spend the holidays with their friends…," he mumbled awkwardly, and Elizabeth decided not to push the subject further, though things were beginning to click into place.

"What do you think driver?" Elizabeth called out. He looked a bit uncertain and glanced at Percy's crew for advice, and the three men paused, thinking things over.  
"It might actually be good if we can get these two near something to warm them up, and Percy's fire would do just that," the fireman said.

"I saw you unearth some rope and wires earlier!" Percy exclaimed excitedly, bubbling with joy at the thought of saving his friend. Percy's driver glanced over to the upended truck of works supplies and saw exactly what Percy was talking about.

"I guess it is worth a shot," he said, and Percy excitedly whistled while Elizabeth and Mike exchanged beaming smiles for the first time that night.

Everything happened quickly after that. The fireman moved Thomas' crew into Percy's bunker while the two drivers got the ropes out and began to secure them. Thomas had rolled far away from the tracks, so Percy was given the longest length of rope while Elizabeth was moved further down the road to be closer, and then turned around as the rope had to be tied to her trailer. The two lengths of rope were tied around Thomas' boiler and through a slit in his bunker, leading back towards Percy and Elizabeth respectively. Metal wire was used to help secure the knots at both ends, and within ten minutes, the rescue operation was ready.

"I will scatter some more coals and see if that helps," Percy's fireman yelled to the group as the driver's went back to their respective modes of transport. The red hot coals shone brightly against the snow before sinking through, melting the flakes that had built up around Thomas. Percy and Elizabeth glanced at each other, both ready and determined for this to succeed, and they knew it was time to start.

"NOW!" Percy's fireman yelled. Percy's driver released the brakes and set Percy into reverse, while Elizabeth's driver slammed onto the accelerator. The two vehicles jerked forwards before coming to a stop as the ropes tightened, straining as they were pulled between the two. Elizabeth's tyres slid through sleet that covered the road, and Percy struggled to maintain a constant speed, his wheels spinning just as helplessly, and there was no sign yet that the plan was working.

"Come on Elizabeth, you can do this!" Mike shouted encouragingly from the flatbed, and Elizabeth pulled with all the strength she could muster. She began to move forwards a few inches, and noticed Percy sliding back as well.

"The snow's moving, it's working!" Percy's fireman yelled. "Keep going you two, you can do this!" Percy shut his eyes in determination, putting the very last of his energy into rescuing his friend. He was tired and sore, desperate to get back to the shed, but he was not leaving without Thomas. _He is my oldest and best friend, I will not leave him trapped beneath the snow! _He told himself. _Come on Percy, save him…SAVE HIM!_

The wires were straining with the weight of the engine, and as Thomas was lifted up from the melting snow, his blue paint and red stripes glowing from in Percy's lamp, the saddle tank noticed something changing around his couplings.

"The rope is coming loose!" Percy exclaimed.

"Go faster then!" Elizabeth yelled, and she stifled a grunt as she roared forwards with all her might. Percy's driver shovelled more coal in to keep him going, and the green engine became shrouded in dark grey smoke and steam. Elizabeth began to roll forwards, but could feel the trailer pulling on her back bumper like it was trying to tear it off. Thomas was moving, but snow was slipping beneath him, making it more and more difficult even though they were making progress.

_I have to do this, _Elizabeth told herself. _I have not come all this way to fail now! I am the best, I am not going to let snow or anything else get in my way! _

_I must save Thomas, I must, I must! _Percy thought as the loosening rope strained against his coupling. _Thomas has always been there for me… we may have argued and fought at times, but that is nothing compared to decades of happy memories… I am not going to lose my best friend now!_

"He's nearly there!" The fireman shouted.

"COME ON ELIZABETH!" Percy yelled, and with a last groan and a grunt, the saddle tank and the lorry surged forwards. Their ropes both snapped at the same moment, sending the two rolling away from the scene until their drivers stopped them. There was silence except for the howling wind, and for a moment they thought all had failed. Percy opened his eyes, staring nervously forwards, unsure of what to see, and found his light had hit something blue…

"THOMAS!" He yelled in delight, and Thomas glanced around, looking weary and confused, but quickly look relieved. Percy's fireman rushed forwards with the spade once he was sure Thomas was no longer in order to shovel snow into the hole and around his wheels to keep him in place. Sirens had suddenly begun to sound, and Percy briefly looked over to see red and blue lights flashing in the distance, but he was not fussed about any of that: he could only think of his friend…

"You did it Elizabeth, you saved him!" Mike yelled. Elizabeth's driver turned her around so she could face Thomas, and the lorry smiled brightly as she saw the delight on Percy and Thomas' faces. _I did, didn't I? _Elizabeth thought, and she realised she was smiling as well. Mike was at an angle, and the two exchanged a look that neither would have expected when their journey had begun at Arlesburgh, one of complete happiness.

The ambulance came roaring onto the scene, siren going and lights flashing, and Percy's crew raced across to see them. The driver and paramedics looked confused as the tank engine sitting in the middle of a snow covered field, but it was left to the humans to explain. As they raced across to get Thomas' crew, Percy, Elizabeth, Mike and Thomas remained silent, all of them struggling to contain their beams as they thought about what had just happened, and none of them could deny the little Christmas miracle that they had performed.

They were so distracted that none of them noticed that it had stopped snowing.


	12. Morning Frost

**Chapter Eleven: Morning Frost**

It was early next morning when Percy and Thomas headed down the branch line.

Percy had rested very briefly while waiting for a replacement crew to arrive with the firelighter, and as the sun had begun to rise the saddle tank took a crane and some workers out and rescued Thomas from his snowy field, where he stood out like some oddly placed statue. Thomas' buffers had been bent slightly when his snowplough came loose and his front axle had been broke when he rolled over it, so he was lifted onto a flatbed and Percy was taking him to Knapford where BoCo would collect him and continue on to the works.

The weather was perfect that morning, and Percy managed a smile as he rolled down the line with Thomas on his flatbed coupled behind. A lot of snow had built up overnight, but workers had been out early clearing the worst away, and Percy's snowplough pushed through the rest. The white flakes shined brilliantly in the winter sun, and it made for a beautiful, peaceful journey.

"Aren't you tired?" Thomas asked as they sailed through an empty Dryaw. It was the first time he had spoken to Percy since their hateful argument the night before, and Thomas was unsure just what his friend may say to him, and waited anxiously for some kind of response.

"Of course I am, but I was not going to let anyone else take you," Percy said with a weary smile as the two rattled down the line. He was trying to sound care free, but there was still some tension between the two, and awkwardly covering it up would do nothing to aide their friendship.

"I am sorry for everything I said yesterday," Thomas said after a few more moments of silence. "When I was waiting for the workers, Henry mocked me for always having silly accidents, and I got upset and took it out on you instead of ignoring him like I should have. So…, I am really sorry… if I had not gotten angry, I probably would have paid better attention to the railway and seen where it ended, and none of this would have ever happened! Now Henry will have another accident to mock me about!"

"Don't worry about him, that's what caused all of this in the first place," Percy said, and Thomas had to agree, pleased that the two were starting to talk normally again.

"Why did you bother coming to rescue last night?" The blue engine asked. "I was so rude and horrible to you –"

"We both were," Percy reminded him. "While I was cross with you, I was not about to let you freeze under all that snow overnight! We are still friends, no matter what little arguments we have, so I will always be there for you like you'll always be there for me." Thomas was beginning to feel better about all of it, and he wore a smile as wide as the empty white fields as they carried on with their brief journey.

Percy soon reached Knapford Station, finding the platforms empty with BoCo waiting on the Main Line with a small train of trucks behind him. All was quiet around here, as an accident had cancelled all trains going past Crovan's Gate, dramatically limiting the amount of engines on the line and passengers travelling.

"Morning you two," BoCo said as they approached. "Hope you are both feeling well despite the night you had."

"I am going back to the sheds right after this and sleeping until Christmas, so I'll manage," Percy replied, and all three laughed. The saddle tank shunted Thomas onto the Main Line, where BoCo reversed so he could be coupled onto the train. Percy and Thomas were now parallel to each other, and both managed to smile at the other, a calmness spreading between them.

"I am glad we made up before the holidays," Thomas said, "even though I will probably be at the Works through New Year's."

"I will come and visit, and bring Annie and Clarabel with me!" Percy said with a beam, though he was sad to see his friend leaving for the rest of the holidays. "Merry Christmas, Thomas!"

"Merry Christmas, Percy!" Thomas replied with a grin, and then the guard blew his whistle and BoCo started off. Percy sound his own whistle as Thomas disappeared down the line, and while it was sad to see him go, he was reassured to know that Thomas would have whistled back if he could have.

_See you soon, friend, _Percy thought, and he set off back to the sheds, ready to have the rest that he deserved and glad that he now had the clear mind to enjoy it.

* * *

Thomas and BoCo arrived an hour later at the crash site.

The entire yard had shut down to the normal traffic, and as a result there were workers spread care free across the tracks, which were filled with engines, open trucks, and cranes and flatbed. Rocky had the centre of attention, his deep red paint sticking out from a far, and Thomas watched as he lifted a broken metal coach onto a flatbed, the sun glinting off its surface.

"What happened here?" Thomas asked, stunned, though he got no answer. Fish, wood and broken axles were scattered across two of the lines, workers trying their best to load them into the empty trucks. Henry was sitting in a siding surrounded by workers, while Edward was on the other side of the yard alongside the Narrow Gauge Railway. BoCo slowly made his way through the tracks towards the Works building, the workers hurriedly moving out of the way for them. Thomas noted Arthur was coupled to the flatbeds that the metal coach was being loaded onto, and then he saw several more battered ones either already loaded and waiting beside the tracks.

"Edward, what exactly happened here?" BoCo asked as he pulled alongside his friend, and Thomas could see Skarloey and Rusty had come to watch. Edward looked and felt tired, having been up all night, and had already told his story several times, but BoCo and Thomas were both old friends and the old blue engine did not mind recalling it once more for them.

"That engine being lifted up is Marco, the visiting electric-diesel multiple unit with the tilting function," he explained, and Thomas was stunned as he had been looking forward to meeting this engine, and glanced back at the metal coaches: Marco had been torn apart and battered by the crash, and it was a painful sight to see. Thomas very rarely saw any of the more modern engines that worked on the Mainland these days and had been excited to meet Marco, and to find him being loaded onto flatbeds like some busted truck made the tank engine feel eerie.

"I went to greet him last night and show him the way," Edward continued, "but I had no snowplough so Gordon led us back. We had to move slowly because of the weather and the snow, but Marco got impatient and carried on ahead when we neared Crovan's Gate. At the same time, Henry was coming in with the Flying Kipper, but he had to wait for us to come through to ensure there was no accident. He was diverted into a siding as Marco came in, but our visitor ignored a worker signalling for him to stop. He was going too quickly, and Henry's trucks had not cleared the Main Line, so he slammed into them and rolled off the tracks. It was lucky no one was killed, but his driver and conductor are both seriously injured, and Marco is a write off." Thomas was gobsmacked, and he watched with a strange feeling in his boiler as Rocky's chains were put around the next coach.

"Silly engine brought it upon himself!" Skarloey huffed. "He should have known not to go speeding off on an unfamiliar line, leaving his guides behind, and he should have been paying attention for any signals or warnings!" All of the engines had to agree with the wise little engine, though it felt strange to Thomas to blame the engine for the crash, but then remembered his own state of mind before his crash.

"I heard Gordon had an accident as well," BoCo said, and, to Thomas' surprise, Edward laughed.

"It was more like a mishap," he said, smirking. "A workman switched the points on all the lines so that Gordon would not crash into Marco or the rest of the Kipper. It was a wise move and would have worked, if only another set of points had not been halfway between tracks. Gordon rolled off the line and skidded through the car park, and then smashed into the car belonging to – get this – the worker who had angrily kicked the lever and caused it to becoming misplaced!" Thomas, BoCo, Skarloey and Rusty joined in the laughter, and they could see Gordon sitting in a siding next to the Works, with Elizabeth and Mike only a few metres away from him. Thomas was grateful to see the lorry and smiled across at her, getting a toot of her horn in response, though he then noticed a familiar blue car parked next to her.

"Is The Fat Controller here?" He asked.

"He is indeed! He is going to address everyone once Henry is able to get out of the sidings," Edward replied. Thomas was intrigued, and he glanced around, trying to find his owner and manager, wondering exactly what would be said, but mostly, the tank engine was longing to get to the Works and get some rest. It had been a long cold night, and Thomas was ready to leave it in the past and move on.

"Thomas looks a lot better today," Mike said.

"That's because he isn't buried in snow," Elizabeth replied in her usual snaky tone, but Mike laughed instead of getting offended, and the lorry managed a wide smile as well. Both of them were still tired from their long night, having gotten very little sleep, but at least they had survived in one piece. Arriving at the crash site a short time ago had been a big wake up call, and both Elizabeth and Mike had fallen into stunned silence as they moved into their designated spot, which, as they had quickly learnt, had been the place Gordon had driven through after derailing the previous night.

_If I had shown up on time, I probably would have been crushed, _Elizabeth thought to herself as she looked at the mighty blue engine. The car Gordon had crashed into remained at the side of the car park, no one bothering to take it away, and the Express Engine had definitely left his mark on it. _I probably would be bits of shattered wood resting on tyres, _the lorry considered with a shudder. _Maybe it was a good thing that Duck was late in the end…_

"You've fallen awfully silent, for once," Mike teased.

"Watch it, I can still push you into the sea if I wanted to," Elizabeth snapped jokingly, and the little red engine could easily tell. The relationship between the two was thawing, as if the sun had cast a strong light upon them both and melted away whatever ice had been in their systems. Neither of them would say they were becoming friends, but their experiences over the past day had been enough to bring them close together.

"You said something last night, after you suggested we rescue Thomas," Elizabeth said as she watched Rocky lift the empty body of the tilting engine onto another flatbed. "Something about how it was sad to think of friends not spending the holidays together? What was that about?" Mike sighed, annoyed that he had been caught out, but he could not see any point in hiding it any longer.

"It is just that I have never been away from Rex and Bert over the holidays," the small engine replied sadly, though keeping his voice down so the others would not hear. "Even when our old railway closed, we were always together during Christmas and that. I was not worried when I had my accident as I thought I would just be at the little workshop on our line and be able to see them everyday. I did not think for a second I would be taken half away across the Island through places I have never seen and be left along in such a giant building!" Elizabeth glanced at the Works to her left, and even she could tell how huge it was, let along how big it would be to such a small engine.

_Maybe I would feel the same way if I was taken away from everyone I knew over the holidays, _the lorry thought¸ _if I bothered with friends, that is… _Suddenly, Elizabeth felt sorry for Mike, an engine she had despised only a few hours ago, and she wished there was something she could have done to make things easier for him rather than sending him on such a wild ride.

"I guess it must be weird leaving the rails behind and going cross country through unfamiliar land," Elizabeth said, and Mike chuckled.

"Especially when your driver is trying to send you flying into the snow!" He added, and Elizabeth managed to laugh as well. "I think it's my turn to ask a question now! Why were you so caught up with trying to finish your delivery last night? You could have damaged both of us at multiple points throughout our little trip." It was Elizabeth's turn to pause and reflect now, knowing it was only right that she shared as Mike had, and she tried to think of how best to word her thoughts.

"I wanted to prove myself last night," the lorry said after a few moments of silence. "I am not very popular, as you may have heard or noticed, as very few engines or people can deal with my personality. My company always dumps me with the night shifts so I am out of the way, even though they are dangerous during the winter, just because I seem to bother a few people every so often. I wanted to get this job done quickly last night so that it would remind them the sort of dedicated worker I am, though that didn't seem to work…" Elizabeth fell silent, suddenly annoyed at herself for failing in her goal. Mike could understand where she was coming from, having clashed with the Small Controller and his fellow engines countless times.

"You definitely proved yourself last night Elizabeth, so if you ask me, I think you're a pretty good lorry," he said with a warm smile, and Elizabeth let a sly grin cross her face as she glanced back at him, slowly starting to chuckle to cover up her embarrassment at his compliment.

"Oh Mike, if you keep those compliments up, I think you and I are going to be very good friends," she said, and the two of them laughed in their own little way as their partnership began to blossom.

As the two laugh, the rest of the crash site fell quiet, and everyone's attention turned towards the middle of the yard. The Fat Controller was standing on one of the middle platforms and had signalled for silence, bringing the clean up to a stop. The tracks had been cleared to allow Henry to move, the green engine's eyes as red as his stripes, and he rolled slowly and quietly across the tracks and towards the other engines, the last of the Flying Kipper rattling behind him as sad remnants of a once proud train.

"I would just like to thank everyone that has been involved in the rescue operation and clean up over the past few hours, many of you having stayed here overnight or coming in during the early hours of the morning to start clearing this dreadful wreckage away." The suited man began to clap, and all the workmen began to applaud with him, while the steam engines, the diesels and Elizabeth sounded their whistles and horns in jubilation. "You have all done tremendously, and I am very proud of you all! It is terrible that Marco here had this accident, that the terrible storm last night had such terrible consequences, but we will all do our best to ensure that something like this never happens again!" There was more applause, but this time Edward and Gordon did not whistle. The two tender engines exchanged grim looks across the yard, knowing that the storm was hardly the main cause of the crash: if Marco had not sped off, he would have not raced into Crovan's Gate and come across Henry's train. The green engine did not whistle either, having seen Marco speeding blindly through the yard without a care for the world around them.

_After all that hard work to try and be on time, my train was destroyed in only a few seconds, _Henry thought drearily. _Maybe those bloody fish are cursed… or maybe the Electric Lady had a point… _

"Now, all of you keep up the good work, and let's try and get this place tidied up so we could all go home and get ready for a very Merry Christmas!" The Fat Controller boomed, and he laughed with all the workers as they dispersed to finish up. Henry rolled further forwards so he came up alongside BoCo and Thomas, all the engines watching as the Fat Controller moved through the crowds, shaking workers hands and commending them on their hard work.

"Hello there!" He said to his engines as he approached them all. "Thomas, I was terribly sorry to hear you about your accident, especially as you had to spend all night stuck in the snow! Hopefully we can have that axle fixed and get you back into service in no time!"

"Thank you sir," Thomas replied, beaming at his controller.

"I have also received word that your crew are recovering splendidly, and they should be home in time for Christmas dinner!" Thomas continued to smile at this and the Fat Controller nodded at him before looking around at Edward, Henry and Gordon, his smile faltering as he looked at the engines that came so close to being harmed by Marco's foolishness. Edward could not stop thinking about the horrible noises he had heard as he had raced after Gordon and Marco, and the sight of the crude visitor's damaged body was hard to look at, nor the fear that had filled him when he thought he could have lost Gordon and Henry…

"When I received a call about the number of delays occurring last night," the Fat Controller began, "I had no idea it would possibly end this way! However, I am still pleased to here how hard you all worked last night before this terrible accident. Henry, you took the delays in your stride and moved brilliantly, and your whistle at the last moment most likely saved the life of your guard, who jumped out the back of the van and onto the snow before Marco hit. Edward and Gordon, you did the right thing by trying to stop Marco getting too far away from you, and I am pleased to hear Gordon that you did not let your own accident interfere with the rescue operation. Brilliant job all round!" Sir Topham Hatt smiled at them all and went to move off as the Thin Controller had emerged from Crovan's Gate and was waving towards his standard gauge counterpart. But as he walked off, Gordon, Edward and Henry exchanged looks; the three had been on the same railway for a long time now and knew each other quite well, and it was clear that they were all sharing similar thoughts about the accident they had all witnessed.

"Sir," Gordon cried out, unable to contain himself any longer. The Fat Controller turned towards him, eyebrows raised, and the big blue engine struggled to find the exact words despite the thoughts having never left his mind. "Sir… have you ever considered replacing us steam engines? It's just… there are a lot more modern engines out there, and Marco was brought here as a demonstration… we have to wonder." The Fat Controller looked taken aback, but when he glanced around, he saw dismal looks plastered on Edward and Henry's face, the two tender engines glad to have their views voiced. The stout man managed to smile, and within a few seconds he was chuckling.

"My dear engine, of course not!" He boomed, struggling to contain his amusement. "Why would I replace such time-tested engines who know my railway like the back of their buffers, who are well known and well loved, and who can always come together in a crisis… I can't even remember my point anymore!" The Fat Controller stopped laughing and smiled at them all. "If there is one thing that poor Marco or Thomas' crash has taught us, it is that the steam engines of Sodor are able to weather any storm that is thrown their way and come out the other side, and that is without any fancy features or additions. Pip and Emma serve their purpose well, but I do not need any more high speed engines or multiple units: steam engines are the best engines for Sodor, and that will never change! Oh, and diesels, of course," he added, winking at BoCo and Rusty, and they all laughed. Any tension left in the air shattered, and Edward and Gordon exchanged broad smiles with one another, quickly reassured about their worries. Henry was relieved, having thought constantly about the Electric Lady's words during his time trapped in the siding. As he brightened up, the green engine smiled at Thomas, but quickly remembered the last words he had said to him.

"I am sorry for insulting you back at Knapford," Henry whispered to Thomas so only the blue engine could hear. The tank engine glanced down at his old friend and smiled back.

"It's alright Henry. There are more important things to life than getting caught up over things like that," he replied, and gave Henry a wink. "Besides, it is nearly Christmas after all, a time for forgiving and moving on!" Henry had to agree, and he watched as Arthur began to push Rocky out of the way, the crane having completed his duties for the time being. BoCo was going to take Marco across the bridge where another diesel would pick the ruined engine up, and the ruined engine would leave Sodor less than a day after arriving.

_Maybe it was Marco's fault, or the snow's… or maybe this Island just isn't the place for engines like that… these museum pieces aren't done yet_. Henry smiled grimly at the thought and watched as Marco was moved away, the sun bouncing off the surface. The rescue operation and clean up was beginning to wrap up, all signs of the engines ordeals slowly being cleared away. The wounds would linger for a while, from Thomas' obvious damage to the thoughts that the tender engines were now trying to squash down, but for the time being, everyone involved in the terrible storm looked forward to the promises of a brighter Christmas and New Year's for them all, hoping it would all stay in the past….

**This is the end of the main part of the story, though there is still one part of our tale that has not quite been wrapped up yet ;) The ending here though is meant to be a bit vague, but, as they used to say, that is a story for another time, but I would love to hear what you have to think about the conclusion to trials of our engines and lorry**


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Ten' o'clock**

John Swanson's car made a horrible screeching sound as he roared into the staff car park, skidding through mushy ice and snow that had already seen plenty of traffic that morning, but the shunter did not care. He had raced here as soon as he had seen the news report that morning, talking of a visiting engine that had crashed the previous night during the snow storm. After ignoring the rest of Duck's trucks, John had spent the evening tucked up with his family under a warm woollen blanket, enjoying countless hot drinks and watching all the typical Christmas specials that he had seen before, savouring these pleasant holiday memories.

Yet it all seemed a waste now. John scrambled hastily out of his car and slammed the door, still thinking of the shocking news bulletin that had put him in such a worry: _Sources from within the railway suggest that it was a series of delays across the railway that could have contributed to this near collision, but official representatives declined to comment. _

It had not taken long for John to think of the train he had not dealt with properly, and he had realised even quicker the role he could have played in the crash. _Maybe I caused this all to happen, this could all be my fault! The report showed Henry near the crash… I would have delayed Duck, which would have delayed him… _John could not shake these thoughts, and he raced to his car and sped to the station, knowing he had to find out if he was going to receive any of the blame.

It had finally stopped snowing and the sun had come out, and John quickly felt hot as he ran across the yard, wearing far too many layers for the weather. Ironically, Duck was pulling into the station as John raced towards the platforms, joining the other engines mingling around waiting for passengers or for the lines ahead to be cleared. _To think a few couplings could cause such damage to these machines, _John thought, staring at a bright yellow tender engine who had not been around long.

"Hey John, Frank's looking for you," a familiar voice yelled from the sidings, and John turned to see a fellow worker, Adam, pointing towards the worker's hut. "He was going to give you a call; doesn't sound happy mate."

_Oh brilliant. _"Thanks for the heads up!" John called back, wearing a smile so everything would seem alright, and he quickly manoeuvred his way towards the little wooden shed. His nerves were all over the place now, and John could only wonder what Frank was going to say, but if he was personally looking for, that was not going to be a good sign.

He stepped inside and found the heater overpowering rather than comforting, wishing that he could turn it off. John found it was oddly quiet, which was unusual for this time of day, and he wondered where everyone was. However, as he moved past the lockers, John saw that there were half a dozen workers inside, halfway through preparing coffees or putting on jackets, some chatting in the corner, others having a snack before starting work. All of them had frozen in what they were doing and had turned to look at John; their still faces a mixture of emotions: some looked surprised, others joyous, one of them furious. John was stunned to find himself the centre of attention like this, and he paused as well, wondering nervously what was about to come his way.

"All of you, out!" A rough voice boomed, and it was as if a spark had gone through the room; John's colleagues quickly pushed past and rushed outside, almost in fear, leaving only him and the speaker behind. Frank had been sitting with a weary look on his face in the corner with his feet up, hidden away by everyone else. John felt his heart slip into his stomach and he slowly walked forwards, dreading what was about to happen.

"Before you start Frank, just let me say –"

"_I_ always speak first John," Frank grumbled, "You know that! Now bring me a coffee and sit down!" John nodded like an obedient dog and quickly poured his manager a cup and rushed it over, before turning a chair around and facing him. Frank did not speak straight away as he took several moments blowing his hot drink before taking a few cautious sips, and John only got more and more nervous, wondering what was taking the stout man so long, wishing he had never come here after all.

"I was not surprised last night when my time as Santa was interrupted," Frank began, resting his cup on the table besides him. "Something always needs my attention, but it is a pain having to tell the kiddies my reindeer need feeding, then I have to rush off and sort it out in under five minutes or we have mass tantrums on our hands, from both the kids and my employees!" John thought it was a joke and chuckled, but Frank gave him a serious look and he quickly fell silent.

"So, after your little foot stamping yesterday, I was already expecting you to bugger off and leave the train unattended," he continued, and John looked down at his feet, feeling like a five year old getting scolded by his teacher. "In fact, I am glad in a way that you did some of the work in the first place; it made your mess much easier to sort out. But," he added, and leaned dramatically forwards, "you still left a mess."

"I know sir, I am very sorry, I had no idea it would lead to an accident, and –" John began, but Frank held a hand up and he fell silent, a bead of cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck. Frank finished the last of his coffee, drinking it as slowly as possible in order to torture John and show off the power he had.

"There is an investigation under way into how the accident occurred, and I already know how it will end," the yard manager continued. "I have seen plenty of crashes and investigations over my time, from within my own career and witnessing my father's work as I grew up. So I know that the investigators will find that the Mainland engine was going too fast, that the weather hindered the driver's vision, they were unable to hear the whistle from the shunter, there were communication errors, all that jazz. They will call for more productive ways of alerting trains during storms, and will recommend changes to prevent delays and how the line is shunted. If you ask me, that engine would have an accident one way or another. My nephew Steve was one of the few witnesses to the crash and he saw it all happen, and that Marco would have carried on at those speeds straight through Crovan's Gate if those trucks had not been in his, and what would have happened then? Arthur was on the line, he easily could have been hit, or if Henry had not been delayed, there could have even been a collision further up the line, one that could have killed the crews and caused one of our own engines to be scrapped." Frank paused, and John quickly let the words sink in and tried to work out what he was saying, and lit up with delight.

"So… it was almost a good thing Henry was delayed then?" John asked, briefly getting excited, but that faded as Frank glared at him and he knew he had said the wrong thing.

"The investigators will be informed that you left several of Duck's trucks unattended to, and this prevented Henry from carrying on. He would have passed Bear by and missed the loads that fell off his train that held him up further, as he should have been through Crovan's Gate before Gordon, Edward or this visitor headed off from Vicarstown. However, it was the fault of Marco's crew and the way the Crovan's sidings work that this accident happened, as well as a fault with the communications that made all these delays worse.

"But just because they will let you go it does not mean I will," Frank said, and he leaned further forward, his tired face becoming wrinkled with rage, reminding John of an angry warthog that he had seen on a David Attenborough show once, and squirmed back in his chair. "You will be working late shifts for the rest of winter, and you will not be allowed to leave until everyone one of your jobs is done properly, with your car keys waiting with whoever is on duty to double check everything. And then, during summer, you will work during the middle of the day every day that I can make you, under the exact same principles. And when it comes to Christmas next year, I will review this case and see if you have learnt your lesson." John was shocked by this punishment, and a foolish question escaped his lips before his stunned mind could comprehend it.

"Which is?"

"That every action on a railway has consequences!" Frank bellowed, making the coffee jug shake, and he angrily pointed one of his sausage-like fingers at John. "Everything you do sets off a chain reaction of events, either good or bad, depending on how well you do your damn job. This is the most important thing you need to know in this line of work! Even if you are the lowliest shunter, you are dealing with trains; coaches that carry people, trucks and wagons filled with flammable items. One wrong move and you could be responsible for the deaths of countless civilians. You got lucky this time John, but if anyone had been killed, I would have thrown you under the bus – or, should I say train, without a second though! You make sure you remember that and get the hell out of here! Enjoy your Merry bloody Christmas." Frank looked and sounded disgusted, and John quickly rose from his chair and rushed out of the hut, unable to stand the furious expression any longer. He was shaking uncontrollably, and was pretty sure he was close to tears, but John forced himself to take control and not let it show, especially as many of his fellow workers were lingering around, waiting to see his fate.

_You still have a job, be glad of that – you aren't going to jail, _John reminded himself, and he knew that it was a light punishment compared to what he could have gotten. He could just imagine what would have happened if there had been passengers onboard the visiting engine: police barging down his door, the whole Island turning against him, life in prison, and the never ending weight of guilt…

The shunter quickly scuttled back to his car through the dirty snow, watching as the bright yellow engine roared past with a large black hopper and a long line of trucks, carrying everything from coal to fuel. John admired the powerful machine and turned, watching it disappear down the Arlesburgh Branch Line, a steely grey snowplough shoving the built up snow aside. It turned a corner, and John wondered what would happen if that engine would derail there, rolling over, dragging all the toxic chemicals off the line with it…

He paused for a moment to calm down, watching the sunlight bouncing off the bright engine's paint, letting Frank's message sink it. John knew that it was one he would never forget for the rest of his life, and knew he would never make a mistake again: when it came to steam engines and when it came to snow, there was no simply no room for error, and over the next year, John would make sure this thought never left his mind.

**So there we have it, the final chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this story, I have been surprised but pleased with the amount of positive reviews I've received, which makes a nice change to what I usually expect :P I hope to expand my little Thomas world further over the next year, with two of my next RWS books tying directly into this story via Mike and the Electric Branch Line, and several aspects and themes of this story will come into play in my main story I hope to start near the end of the year. So hope this year's Christmas special was enjoyable, let me know what you think, and see you on all soon on the Peel Godred Branch ;) **


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